Polish authorities on Sunday accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating a fire that destroyed a large shopping center in the capital, Warsaw, last year.
Since Russia’s February 2022 offensive against Ukraine, Poland — a loyal ally of Kyiv — claims to be the target of sabotage attempts which it blames on Russia.
A fire in May last year completely destroyed a large shopping center in Warsaw and the 1,400 small businesses it housed, most of them owned by members of the Vietnamese community.
Photo: AP
Poland immediately launched an investigation, but had until now refrained from blaming Moscow.
“We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping center in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media.
The Polish Ministry of Justice and Ministry of the Interior and Administration in a joint statement on Sunday said that some of the alleged perpetrators were already in custody, while others had been identified, but were still at large.
“Their actions were organized and directed by a specific person residing in the Russian Federation,” the statement said, adding that they were cooperating with Lithuania, “where some of the perpetrators also carried out acts of diversion.”
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland has detained and convicted several individuals suspected of sabotage on behalf of the Russian intelligence services, accused of assaults, arson or attempted arson.
Poland in May last year imposed restrictions on the movements of Russian diplomats on its soil, due to Moscow’s “involvement” in a “hybrid war.”
Five months later, Warsaw ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Poznan, accusing Moscow of orchestrating “sabotage attempts.”
Poland in December last year said that it was willing to close all Russian consulates in Poland if acts of “terrorism” continued.
Russia closed the Polish consulate in Saint Petersburg in January in retaliation.
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