A court in Lithuania on Monday sentenced a young Ukrainian man to three years and four months in prison for setting fire to an IKEA store in Vilnius last year.
Danylo Bardadym was said to have placed a bomb inside the IKEA store in May 2024, which exploded during the night, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished. No one was killed or injured in the attack.
A judge in Vilnius said Bardadym, a Ukrainian citizen, committed “an act of terrorism” in Vilnius and also “an attempted terrorist attack” in the northern city of Siauliai, which is home to a NATO airbase.
Prosecutors said Bardadym had acted “in the interest of a foreign military intelligence service” and that Russia had been “aware” of his plans.
Bardadym, who was 17 at the time, was allegedly promised a car and 10,000 euros ($11,500) for his actions, they added.
He was also convicted of “training for terrorist purposes,” travelling to Riga in neighboring Latvia “for terrorist purposes and possession of explosives,” the judge added.