An Estonian court has said that last year's arson attacks on a restaurant and supermarket in Estonia were ordered by Russian intelligence. The incident is part of a series of attacks across Europe linked to Russia.
An Estonian court on Wednesday said the arson attacks on a restaurant and supermarket in Estonia last year were ordered by Russian intelligence. Western officials say the attack is one of a series of incidents across Europe aimed at sowing discord in Western societies and undermining support for Ukraine.
ABC News reports this.
Court verdict: How Russian intelligence ordered arson in Estonia
Harju County Court in Estonia said the perpetrators were two cousins from Moldova. One of them was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for setting fire to a restaurant and supermarket, which the court said “were carried out on behalf of Russian security services.”
In its statement, the court noted that the first defendant was assigned the operation by Russia's military intelligence service, known as the GRU. Tallinn. The defendant arrived with his cousin at the restaurant on the night of January 31, 2024.
A widespread sabotage campaign and the Kremlin's reaction
The arson attack is the latest attack on Estonia since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Estonia has previously been the target of cyberattacks and attacks on the property of a politician and a journalist. Authorities in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have worked to apprehend the men, who were arrested in Italy and then sent to Estonia for trial.
Western officials accuse Russia of a wide-ranging campaign of sabotage since its invasion of Ukraine. As well as arson, attacks across Europe range from plugging car exhaust pipes with expanding foam in Germany to a plot to plant explosives on cargo planes, hacking attacks targeting politicians and critical infrastructure, and espionage by a group convicted in Britain.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had never been presented with “any evidence” to support allegations of a wider sabotage campaign and “strongly rejected” any accusations against Russia.
Let us recall that Estonia stated that it is ready to accept allied fighters on its territory, but neighboring Russia does not like this.
