Lithuania convicts teen for IKEA arson attack on behalf of Russian security services

A Lithuanian court on Monday convicted a 17-year-old of performing an arson attack on an IKEA store in Vilnius in 2024, finding he acted on behalf of Russian security services.

The court found Daniil Bardadim guilty of charges including a terrorist act, illegal possession of explosives and arriving in Lithuania with the aim of carrying out terrorist acts.

Bardadim, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. Along with another person, he agreed during a secret meeting in Poland to set fire to and blow up shopping centres in Lithuania and Latvia in return for €10,000 and a BMW car.

Prosecutors said the teenager acted "in the interests of the military structures and security services of the Russian Federation." Bardadim is a Ukrainian national.

IKEA is thought to have been targeted because the company withdrew from Russia and Sweden's support for Ukraine.

The store in Vilnius was attacked in May 2024, when an explosive device with a timer was set off early in the morning, but employees and firefighters were quick to extinguish the fire.

Bardadim had been arrested a few days after the attack while he was travelling towards Riga, according to local media, adding that he second suspect was arrested in Poland after setting fire to a shopping centre.

Recently, Europe has been the target of a wave of arson and other sabotage attacks, including several drone incursions, with Russia accused of being behind them.

In September, Lithuanian authorities found Russia's military intelligence GRU was behind arson attacks across Europe through courier services.

The network is believed to have hidden home-made explosive devices, containing the highly flammable substance thermite, inside massage pillows and tubes of cosmetics.

Some of these incendiary devices exploded last year in the UK, Germany and Poland while being transported by the courier services DHL and DPD.