Poland Blames Russia for Arson in Devastating Shopping Centre Fire

Poland's government has implicated Russian intelligence in a destructive fire that decimated a shopping centre in Warsaw, prompting an extensive investigation and accusations of hybrid warfare.

Poland has recently accused Russian intelligence services of being behind a massive fire that ravaged the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw, nearly destroying it entirely last year. Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared on social media platform X that Poland has definitive evidence that the fire was an act of arson directed by Russian special services. According to Tusk, several individuals connected to the incident are already in custody, while efforts to locate others involved are ongoing.

Moscow has yet to respond to these recent accusations but has consistently denied claims of sabotage activities across Europe. The devastating fire, which occurred in May 2024, resulted in the loss of 1,400 small businesses, many of which were operated by the Vietnamese community in Warsaw. Following a comprehensive year-long investigation, Polish authorities concluded that the fire was orchestrated by an unidentified individual located in Russia.

In a joint statement, Poland's justice and interior ministers revealed that actions taken by those detained were "organized and directed by a specific person residing in the Russian Federation." The ministers mentioned ongoing cooperation with Lithuania, highlighting that some of the implicated individuals had also engaged in acts of sabotage there.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has detained and prosecuted multiple individuals accused of conducting sabotage for Russian intelligence. Polish officials assert that these incidents are part of a "hybrid war" being waged by Moscow, characterized by covert, deniable attacks designed to inflict damage on infrastructure while avoiding direct attribution as acts of war.

NATO shares this perspective, noting that Russia's hybrid warfare tactics aim to deter Western support for Ukraine. Russia has continuously refuted claims from NATO countries alleging its secret services are involved in sabotage efforts across Europe.

In March, Lithuanian authorities accused Russia's military intelligence of orchestrating another arson incident, targeting an Ikea branch in Vilnius, further solidifying these suspicions. Three months after the destruction of the Marywilska shopping centre, its owners opened a temporary facility where around 400 vendors were able to resume operations. In October 2024, a new shopping centre, Modlinska 6D, was launched in Warsaw, allowing traders to relocate their businesses.