By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-17 14:18:01 | Updated at 2025-03-18 01:19:10
11 hours ago
Lithuanian prosecutors on Monday blamed the Russian military intelligence service for being behind the arson attack on an Ikea store in Vilnius last year, calling it “an act of terrorism”.
Lithuania, a Baltic state and Nato member, has been a staunch ally of Kyiv since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and frequently warned against sabotage attempts inspired by Russia.
On Monday, Lithuanian prosecutor general’s office attributed the arson attack at Vilnius’s Ikea furniture store to Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU.
“We regard this act as an act of terrorism with serious consequences,” prosecutor Arturas Urbelis told reporters.
The Ikea store was set ablaze in Vilnius in May 2024. The fire caused no casualties.
The prosecutors said two Ukrainian citizens were suspects in the Ikea arson case – with one being detained in Lithuania and the other in Poland.
“It has been established that through a series of intermediaries … the organisers of these crimes are in Russia and this is connected to military intelligence and security forces,” Urbelis said.
