Lithuanian prosecutors accuse Russian intelligence of orchestrating Vilnius IKEA arson attack
Lithuanian prosecutors have accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating the arson attack on an IKEA warehouse in Vilnius in May 2024, as reported by Delfi.
Arturas Urbialis, a prosecutor with the Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office for Organized Crimes, stated that the fire was set by two Ukrainian nationals, both under the age of 20, including one minor. The blaze erupted on May 9, 2024, engulfing metal shelves stocked with mattresses, tiles, furniture, and plastic bags on Vikingu Street. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the incident.
Investigators allege that one of the accused traveled to Warsaw in spring 2024, agreeing to carry out arson attacks on shopping centers in Lithuania and Latvia for €10,000. After setting the Vilnius warehouse ablaze, the suspect filmed the fire and received a BMW 530 as payment. On March 13, he returned to Lithuania, collected materials for another planned attack, and headed towards Riga, only to be apprehended before reaching Latvia. Saulius Briginas, Deputy Head of the Lithuanian Police Department, revealed that the incendiary device had been hidden among flammable goods in the warehouse the evening before the shopping center closed.
Back in May 2024, The New York Times, citing sources from U.S. intelligence, reported that Russian secret services had stepped up minor sabotage operations across Europe, including setting fires. Among these acts, the IKEA store fire in Lithuania was highlighted as an example of such clandestine activities.