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Poland accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating a massive fire, which almost completely destroyed a shopping center in the capital’s Warsaw last year.
In the X -Post, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland knows “certainly” that the explosion at the Marywilska mall was caused by arson ordered by Russian special services.
Some of those responsible are already in custody, Tusk added, while everyone else who is said to have been included have been identified and sought.
Moscow did not comment on the allegations, but previously denied allegations of sabotage in Europe.
The fire in May 2024 destroyed 1,400 small businesses, with many staff members of the Warsaw Vietnamese community.
Poland conducted a one -year investigation into the incident, which now concluded that the fire was organized by an unnamed person in Russia.
A joint statement from the Ministers of Justice and the Interior of Poland said that the actions of those detained were “organized and directed by a specific person residing in the Russian Federation”.
The two ministries added that they cooperate with Lithuania, “where some of the perpetrators also commit acts of deviation.”
Following a full -scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine in 2022, Poland detained and condemned several people accused of sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence services.
Polish officials said these attacks were part of a “hybrid war” led by Moscow.
The hybrid war is when a hostile state performs an anonymous, intrusive attack, usually in highly suspicious circumstances. This will be enough to harm their opponent, especially their infrastructure assets, but stop being an actual act of war.
NATO also believes Russia is waging a “hybrid war” in Europe, In order to punish or deter the Western nations to continue their military support for Ukraine.
Russia has denied repeated claims by NATO countries that its secret services are involved in sabotage operations across Europe.
The Marywilska Shopping Center opened openings in 2010, and in the fire, many workers lost important documents and large sums of money stored in the mall for fear of interruptions at home.
Three months after the fire, a temporary shopping center was opened by Marywilska owners, where approximately 400 merchants resumed operations.
An alternative shopping center in Warsaw, Modlinska 6D, opened in October 2024, with traders moving their business to the new site.