Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk accuses Russia of Warsaw Shopping Center Fire

Poland has accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating a huge fire that almost completely destroyed a shopping center in the capital Warsaw last year.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland knows that the fire in the Marywilska shopping center was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services.

Some of those who are responsible are already in custody, added between, while all others were identified and involved and are being sought.

Moscow has not commented on the allegations, but has previously denied accusations of sabotage in Europe.

The fire in May 2024 destroyed 1,400 small companies, where many of the employees are members of the Vietnamese community of Warsaw.

Poland has investigated the incident for a year, which has now concluded that the fire was organized by a public person in Russia.

A joint explanation of the ministers of Poland and Ministers of the Interior said that the actions of those in custody were “organized and directed by a specific person who lived in the Russian Federation”.

The two ministries added that they worked with Lithuania “where some perpetrators also performed acts of distraction”.

Since the full invasion of Russia in Ukraine in 2022, Poland has held and convicted several people accused of sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence services.

Polish officials have said that these attacks are part of a “hybrid war” that was fed by Moscow.

Hybrid warfare is when a hostile state carries out an anonymous, denial attack, usually in very suspicious circumstances. It will be enough to harm their opponent, especially their infrastructure assets, but stop a war to be attributed.

NATO Van Russia also believes that Russia is “hybrid warfare” in Europe, With the aim of punishing or scare Western countries to continue their military support for Ukraine.

Russia has denied repeated allegations by NATO countries that its secret services are involved in Sabotage activities throughout Europe.

The Marywilska shopping center opened in 2010 and in the fire many employees lost important documents and large amounts that were kept in the shopping center due to fear of Breaks Ins at home.

Three months after the fire, a temporary shopping center was opened by the owners of Marywilska, where around 400 traders resume activities.

An alternative shopping center in Warsaw, Modlinska 6D, was opened in October 2024 with traders who moved their companies to the new site.