Polish authorities have charged Belarusian citizen Stepan K. with setting fire to an OBI hypermarket in Warsaw in April 2024.
Russian-ordered sabotage in Poland
"We have determined that Stepan K. was working for a foreign intelligence service - specifically, Russia’s intelligence agency. This is the first time we are explicitly stating that acts of sabotage in Poland were directly ordered by Russian intelligence. Until now, we have only referred to a ‘foreign intelligence service’ or incidents that occurred outside Poland," said National Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Przemysław Nowak during a Wednesday press conference.
Recorded the attack and ignited the fire remotely
Stepan K. allegedly poured flammable liquid inside the store and left devices to trigger the fire remotely. Prosecutors revealed that he recorded the entire operation on his phone, and parts of the footage later surfaced on Russian propaganda platforms.
According to the Rzeczpospolita daily, the fire caused an estimated 3.5 million PLN (€830,000 or $910,000) in damages, but swift intervention by firefighters prevented the store from being completely destroyed.
Links to a larger sabotage network
The newspaper reports that on Monday, Stepan K. was formally charged and placed in custody for three months.
He had already been detained in Poland for involvement in a larger sabotage network, which included Ukrainian national Serhiy S. and Olgierd L., a boxer from Gdańsk with alleged ties to organized crime.
Radio Poland, citing the Polish state news agency PAP, previously reported that Olgierd L. is also suspected of links to Karol Nawrocki, a right-wing presidential candidate backed by the Law and Justice (PiS) party.
Stepan K. acted alone in Warsaw
While initial allegations against Stepan K. suggested group involvement, authorities say he acted alone in setting the Warsaw fire.
The suspect has been charged with sabotage and terrorism-related arson, offenses carrying a potential sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
The case is believed to be part of a broader investigation into coordinated arson attacks across Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries.
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Source: IAR/PAP/TVN24/Rzeczpospolita/X/@PK_GOV_PL/@Policja_KSP