Lithuania says Russian military intelligence behind Ikea arson attack in Vilnius

The suspect, who was underage at the time of the arson in Vilnius, was arrested while planning another attack in Riga, in neighbouring Latvia.

Lithuanian authorities have reasonable grounds to believe that Russian military intelligence organised and funded the Ikea store arson attack in Vilnius in 2024, the Baltic country’s prosecutor general said.

The main suspect in the incident engaged with “Russian military and security services” and accepted payment as part of a terrorist organisation plotting attacks in both Lithuania and Latvia, according to the statement on Monday.

The suspect is said to have planted a timed fuse in the store on 9 May last year, which was activated overnight.

After filming the fire and sending the footage, the suspect in the case attempted to cover up their tracks and fled to Warsaw — where they picked up a BMW as a reward for completing the task.

Read more: Euronews