OBI hardware store fire (Warsaw) – suspect linked to Russian intelligence

A fire broke out at an OBI hardware and DIY store on Radzyminska Street in Warsaw in the early hours of 14 April 2024, shortly before 5 a.m. Part of the store was destroyed, with damage estimated at around 3.5 million zlotys (roughly 835,000 euros). Polish prosecutors say the blaze was started deliberately, with flammable liquid poured and remotely triggered ignition devices left in place during the day so they could be set off at night when no customers were present.

Polish authorities identified the suspect as a Belarusian citizen referred to under privacy rules as Stepan K., who had reportedly posed as a Belarusian opposition activist seeking refuge. In March 2025 the National Prosecutor's Office charged him with sabotage for a foreign intelligence service, a terrorist act, espionage, and participation in an organised criminal group, offences that can carry up to life imprisonment. Investigators allege he carried out the arson on behalf of Russia and on the orders of Russian intelligence, as part of a recruited network. Prosecutors say the case rests on forensic examination, surveillance footage, and expert analysis, and that the suspect allegedly recorded the act on his phone, with some footage later appearing on Russian propaganda outlets. The charges remain allegations pending trial.

If the allegations are confirmed, the OBI fire fits a documented pattern in which Russian intelligence is accused of recruiting proxies, often via online channels or under cover of activism, to carry out arson and sabotage in Poland and across Europe. Polish officials, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk, have publicly attributed a wave of 2024 incidents to Russia-directed operations. The reported use of a foreign national lacking ideological ties, the remote ignition method, and the propaganda exploitation of recorded footage are consistent with this proxy model. Attribution rests on Polish prosecutors and remains untested in court.