While Lithuanian law enforcement is conducting a pre-trial investigation into the fire at the Ikea furniture store in Vilnius, the American daily The New York Times (NYT) reports that the perpetrators of the attack hid explosives in the Lithuanian capital's railway station. at the station.
According to the publication, a Lithuanian law enforcement investigation revealed that a bag containing explosives, six mobile phones, four detonators and two vibrators, the purpose of which is unclear, was hidden in the luggage storage.
As reported by BNS, Lithuanian officials say they have determined that the attack was carried out by a terrorist group, and that it was possibly organized and ordered by individuals connected to Russian special services.
According to the case, on May 2024, 8, an explosive with a timer was placed in the Ikea store in Vilnius, causing an explosion and fire.
According to the prosecutor, the crime was assessed as a terrorist activity that caused serious consequences - causing significant damage to the store and posing a danger to people. Although fire It happened at night, around 4 a.m., and there were about ten people in the store at the time.
During the pre-trial investigation, it was established that the direct perpetrators of the crime were two persons under the age of 20, one of whom is a minor, whose case has been transferred to a Lithuanian court. The second suspect was detained in PolandBoth perpetrators of the crime are Ukrainian citizens.
Lithuanian officials say they have determined that the attack was likely organized and ordered by individuals connected to Russian special services.
A 17-year-old Ukrainian refugee from Kherson, who had been living in Poland, was reportedly lured in with the promise of a BMW car and around 11 euros in exchange for the task. JAV dollars (about 10 thousand euros).
The boy was recruited, according to investigators, by an underground Russian network.
When asked by the NYT whether it had found any evidence that the minor had undertaken this task out of loyalty to Russia, the Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office responded that "there is no evidence that the defendant holds pro-Russian views."
Lithuanian investigators believe that the individuals involved in the attack were motivated primarily by money, and that they may not have "understood the ultimate goal" of those who ordered the arson and directed their work.
