Ukrainian security services have apprehended a group believed to be responsible for a series of arson attacks targeting both civilian and critical infrastructure in Poland and the Baltic states.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) asserts that the orchestrators were acting on behalf of Russians. The Office of the Prosecutor General in Kyiv reported that Ukrainian forces had uncovered and arrested individuals planning sabotage activities, including arson attacks against a major trading hall on Marywilska Street in Warsaw earlier in May.
The criminal group was led by a Ukrainian resident from Ivano-Frankivsk, who, according to Ukrainian authorities, sought accomplices online to engage in activities benefitting Russia. Candidates were reportedly prepared to take part in arson attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure in Ukraine, Poland and Baltic countries.
Preventative measures have been applied against three of the detainees. The Ukrainian prosecution has charged them with “state treason, preparation for the deliberate destruction of property by arson, as well as the production, shipment, and sale of illegally produced holographic security elements and the forgery and sale of counterfeit documents.”
Investigations by Ukrainian detectives reveal that the sabotage group meticulously prepared for the attacks.
During searches conducted in about 40 different locations across the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Poltava regions, and Kyiv, police seized weapons and ammunition, nine vehicles, and cash worth over $90,000. Forged vehicle registration documents, medical certificates, and school diplomas were also confiscated.
Despite Ukrainian claims of the group’s connections to Russian services, no concrete evidence has been presented to support this accusation.
