Polish prosecutors say they have charged a Belarusian citizen, suspected of working for Russian intelligence, with setting fire to a large DIY store in Warsaw last year.
Poland’s National Prosecutor's Office believes that the suspect, named only as “Stepan K.,” committed the arson attack on the orders of Russian security services.
He has been charged with committing sabotage and a terrorist crime and faces 10 years to life in jail.
Poland says its role as a key hub for international supplies to Ukraine has made it a target for spies who are trying to gather information on support for Kyiv's war effort and engage in acts of sabotage. Russia has regularly denied any involvement.
The Wasaw blaze occurred on April 14, 2024, leading to a DIY store burning down and causing 3.5 million złoty (€830,000) in losses. There were no injuries, as the fire took place at night and no customers were in the building.
Remotely-controlled devices
The National Prosecutor's Office said: “It was established during the proceedings that Stepan K... spilled a flammable liquid in the supermarket and left devices that could remotely start a fire.”
“The device was activated and a fire broke out. It was also established that Stepan K. recorded his actions on his phone to document the act of sabotage. Some of these materials were then published on Russian propaganda portals.”
Stepan K. came to Poland allegedly seeking refuge from Lukashenko's regime in Belarus.
“We do not have a person with such a name and surname in our database; he did not hang around us, did not seek help or funding,” said Aleś Zarembiuk from the Belarusian House in Warsaw, a foundation that supports civic initiatives and Belarusian culture.
Series of arson attacks
Polish authorities are also investigating arson attacks on other large stores in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries, including Lithuania.
The arson attack on the OBI DIY store in the Polish capital in April resembles another incident in May at Warsaw’s largest retail center, Marywilska 44. It burned down, and investigators found fragments of explosive devices in the ashes.
Rzeczpospolita reported that Belarusian security services have deployed agents under the guise of oppositionists. Belarusian Darya O. was sentenced in September for passing information about the Belarusian opposition in Poland to Russia.
In another case, independent journalists uncovered two Minsk military intelligence agents, Dzmitry P. and Maksim K., who entered Poland under false identities. They set up an IT business in Łódź, central Poland, while spying on the Belarusian opposition.
