Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Sunday that after a year-long investigation, it has been confirmed that Russian secret services were behind a devastating fire that almost completely destroyed a shopping centre in Warsaw in May 2024.
Tusk stated on X that the fire at the Marywilska shopping centre was the result of arson ordered by Russian intelligence, with coordination by a person located in Russia. Some suspects are already in custody, while others have been identified and are being actively pursued.
Poland has faced a series of sabotage actions, which authorities describe as part of a broader “hybrid war” by Russia aimed at destabilizing countries that support Ukraine, using methods like arson and cyberattacks. Polish investigators are working alongside Lithuanian authorities, where some of the perpetrators also carried out similar sabotage actions.
Justice Minister Adam Bodnar and Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak emphasized that they have detailed knowledge of the arson’s planning and execution, which was organized and directed by an individual based in Russia.
The Polish government is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these attacks.
In March, Lithuanian prosecutors accused Russia’s military intelligence of orchestrating another arson attack on an IKEA store in Vilnius, which occurred just days before the Warsaw mall fire. Russia has denied any involvement in the arson incidents.
