Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar said one of the individuals involved in the May 12 fire at the Marywilska 44 shopping center in Warsaw had also participated in an arson attack in Vilnius, Lithuania. He added that while several suspects have been arrested, others are being sought under European arrest warrants, including individuals believed to be hiding in Russia.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Sunday that the arson was carried out on orders from Russian security services. Around 1,400 shops and service points were destroyed in the fire, affecting an estimated 2,000 traders and their employees.
Bodnar explained that the attack was part of a broader campaign targeting large commercial properties in Poland and Lithuania, orchestrated from within Russia. He emphasized that those involved had varying roles - from direct perpetrators to individuals documenting the attacks, to those issuing orders - all connected to Russian intelligence operations.
Some perpetrators were recruited via social media, with offers of payment for sabotage missions, Bodnar said, citing a separate case involving an attempted arson at a paint factory in Wrocław.
Poland’s investigation, launched on May 13, is being led by the National Prosecutor’s Office with support from police and the Internal Security Agency, in cooperation with Lithuanian authorities.
In response to the evidence of Russian involvement, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced on Monday the closure of Russia’s consulate in Kraków, marking another escalation in diplomatic tensions.
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Source: PAP/IAR/X/@donaldtusk/@Adbodnar/@MS_GOV_PL