Фото: twitter.com/KGPSP
Polish prosecutors have sent an indictment to court against five people, including four Ukrainian citizens and one Belarusian citizen. They are accused of arson attacks and attempted arson attacks on shopping centres and stores in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in 2024 on behalf of Russian intelligence services.
The case concerns four episodes:
Charges have been brought against Ukrainian citizens Daniil B., Oleksandr H., Vitalii K. and Pavlo T., as well as Belarusian citizen Stepan K. The Belarusian man is accused of setting fire to the OBI store. The charges include participation in an organised criminal group, carrying out sabotage, aiding sabotage and other offences.
The OBI construction supermarket in Warsaw caught fire on the night of April 13-14, 2024. A remotely controlled device was activated. Part of the store burned down. The damage amounted to 3.5 million zlotys, just under $1 million. Belarusian citizen Stepan K. is accused of the arson attack. He also recorded his actions on a mobile phone. The footage was later published by Russian propaganda outlets.
The direct perpetrators of the Marywilska 44 shopping centre fire in Warsaw have not yet been identified. However, investigators established that Daniil B. documented the arson attack on the instructions of a Russian intelligence operative.
The investigation is continuing. In particular, efforts are underway to identify the direct perpetrators of the shopping centre fire in Warsaw.
The indictment does not include two additional suspects, Serhii Chalyi and Oleksandr Varyvoda. They are suspected of leading the criminal group and coordinating sabotage activities. The suspects acted on behalf of Russia’s foreign intelligence service. Both have been placed on a wanted list.
It should be noted that Daniil B. had already been convicted by a court in Vilnius for the arson attack on the IKEA store. In addition, Pavlo T., together with Serhii R. and Vladyslav Y., were convicted on Sept. 18, 2025, for participating in an organised criminal group of a sabotage and terrorist nature. That case concerned other arson attacks in Poland. Belarusian citizen Stepan K. is also charged in another arson case.