Camilla Jessen
Poland accuses Russia of ordering a devastating arson attack on a major Warsaw mall in what officials call a deliberate act of sabotage.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has accused Russian intelligence agencies of orchestrating a coordinated arson attack that destroyed the Marywilska 44 shopping center in Warsaw last year, calling the act “deliberate sabotage” and vowing justice for those responsible.
The fire, which broke out on May 12 last year, reduced the sprawling complex to rubble and displaced nearly 2,000 vendors and workers.
Tusk announced the findings publicly in a post on X on April 11.
We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services,” Tusk wrote. “Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for. We will get you all!
A Year-Long Investigation
Poland’s Justice Minister Adam Bodnar and Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, who also oversees intelligence operations, released a joint statement confirming the findings.
They said the year-long investigation uncovered detailed evidence of Russian involvement and coordination with individuals operating both in Poland and neighboring Lithuania.
According to the ministers, Polish and Lithuanian authorities worked together to uncover a network of agents involved in subversive activity across both countries.
Investigators now reportedly have clear information about how the attack was planned, executed, and documented, including the identity of the Russian handler who oversaw the operation from abroad.
Diplomatic Fallout
In response to the attack, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced that Poland would shut down the Russian Consulate in Krakow.
“Due to evidence that the Russian special services committed a reprehensible act of sabotage against the shopping center on Marywilska Street, I have decided to withdraw my consent to the operation of the Consulate of the Russian Federation in Krakow,” Sikorski said.
Poland has also accused Russia of interfering in its upcoming presidential election, scheduled for May 18, warning of a coordinated campaign of cyberattacks, disinformation, and possible further sabotage in the lead-up to the vote.