"We now know for certain that the extensive fire at the Marywilska shopping center was the result of an arson attack ordered by Russian authorities", writes Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk on X.
"The attack was coordinated by a person in Russia. Some of the perpetrators are already detained, while others are being identified and arrested".
It was early in the morning on May 12, 2024, when a fire broke out and spread to 80 percent of the shopping center with 1,400 retailers, according to the rescue service.
Polish authorities state that the attack was part of a broader Russian sabotage campaign. They are also cooperating with Lithuania, which has pointed out the Russian intelligence service GRU for having been behind a firebomb placed at an IKEA store outside Vilnius three days before the fire in Warsaw.
In that case, two Ukrainian citizens under 20 years of age are charged, one of whom is detained in Poland. According to Lithuanian authorities, the attack was planned by a Russian spy ring in Warsaw.
Russia has denied involvement in fire attacks and sabotage across Europe.
