How the Ukrainian teenager became a suspected soldier of Russia

The work offer, which appealed to a 17 -year -old Ukrainian refugee without work, promised a BMW and about $ 11,000 in cash.

Daniel Baddadim, a teenager running from the war in Ukraine, received the offer early last year after making his way to Warsaw in the neighboring Poland, according to the investigators.

He accepted and got a BMW, albeit old, but not money. Perhaps what was previously seemed to be a worse, more attractive proposal. I fell in prison in Lithuania with comments from terrorism, accusing of setting fire to the IKEA store.

Lithuanon investigators said that the job, which was presented through a mysterious group, turned Mr. Baddadim into an unacceptable foot soldier to Russia as part of a multi -side campaign of target sabotage attacks throughout Europe.

Shopping During the past two years In what Center for Strategic and International Studies It is described as a campaign to sow chaos led by the Russian Military Intelligence Service, GRU.

The number of secret Russian attacks has doubled almost three times between 2023 and 2024. This is what worries European governments that fear that Ukraine’s invasion by President Vladimir F. Putin is part of a wider attack that takes place elsewhere in the shadows and can easily escalate to additional additional aggression.

“We have already entered a war zone in Europe,” said Darius Gunskis, outgoing director at the Ministry of State Security in Lithuania. “Their goal” is to create ruin, create lack of confidence and panic “and undermine general support to help Ukraine.” Welcome to World War III, “he added.

Steve Whitchov, President Trump’s envoy to the Middle East and Russia, rejected that he was “vibrant” the idea that “Russians will walk throughout Europe” in a conversation. interview. He said, “I do not consider Putin a bad man.”

This opinion has left many in Europe, especially in countries near Russia, such as Poland and the Baltic countries.

“The shadow war in Lithuania and other countries shows that Putin is ready and able to act outside the borders of his country,” said Gabrierius Landsburgis, former Foreign Minister of Lithuania. He added that the belief that the aggressive intent of Russia does not extend beyond Ukraine, is just a thinking thinking.

Mr. Bardadim was accused of implementation last May, when he broke into a burning device at the Ikea store in the Litoanian capital, Vilnius, in the middle of the night. Police officers later stopped a bus that he was traveling from Lithuania to the neighboring Latvia and arrested him.

Among his property on the bus, the incendiary devices that investigators believe would be used in another attack in the Latvian capital, Riga.

Renata Janessetti, a lawyer assigned by the court, rejected Renata Ganusetti, commenting on the record about her client’s actions or motives.

Lithuania’s investigation in Mr. Baradim revealed amazing details and is often alien to how to prepare and carry out sabotage. This includes the use of Vilnius railway cabinet to rid a bag containing explosives, six mobile phones, four detonators, and two vibrators, its intended use was not clear.

Why did the Ukrainians participate in a sabotage campaign on behalf of their enemy in their country that raised disturbing questions about Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. These countries welcomed tens of thousands of refugees from Ukraine and were strongly pressured on extensive Western military aid to help Kiev resist Russia.

Mr. Bardadim grew up in Kheson, a mainly speaking city in southern Ukraine near the Black Sea, before the start of the war, was home to many population who looked positively in Russia. Mr. Barda’s mother still lives there. I called the phone in Jeuceon, and she refused to comment.

Lithuanian investigators believe that Mr. Baddadim and others were involved in the IKEA attack were mainly driven by money. Last month, Arturas Urbelis, the main public prosecutor, described them as “young members who clearly lack the experience of life” and who, due to the war in Ukraine, “found themselves in a difficult financial situation.”

He added that they may “not understand the ultimate goal” of those who hide behind the borrowed names on social media, and assigned their work.

Mr. Gunsix, Director of the Ministry of State, said that the people who were recruited by Gru “are clearly not professional”, because they are easily arrested, and often they are in a difficult financial strait and attracted them “offers of fast and easy money.”

He added that the intelligence agencies in Russia “got rid of a bite hunting network.”

When asked if he had found any evidence that Mr. Bardem participated in the position of sabotage from loyalty to Russia, the Office of the Prosecutor in Lithuania said, “There is no information indicating that the defendant holds pro -Russian views.”

Several instructions that were sent to Mr. Bardadim and other recruits were transferred via Telegram by the user who went on the name of Warrior2alpha, according to the Lithuanian investigators. Another communication channel was Zengi, the Chinese correspondence application.

The Ukrainian teenager was recruited by what the investigators describe as a Russian underground network directed by GRU and other Russian agencies to spread chaos. According to Lithuanian prosecutors, he was informed of Zengi with an anonymous therapist using the “Q” nickname “Q” apparently referring to the character in James Bond films.

The most dangerous sabotage operations included incendiary incendiary devices as an innocent bundle. A piece of Velanis to Germany exploded by DHL to fire last July at a treatment center in Leipzig. Another package of Vilnius exploded in Birmingham, England, and a third exploded into a Polish courier company.

Western intelligence officials blame every episode in Russia. Mr. Gunskis said that the IKEA fire was clearly linked to Russian sabotage.

Prosecutors say that Mr. Paradim is across the northern border of Poland with Lithuania last April. Discover the potential goals, visit the IKEA store in Siola, the eastern city, and the III II Store in Velanis.

Sayyrioli, the home of the NATO air base, has long been the focus of Russian intelligence services. Last year, the Litoanian police arrested the 82 -year -old retirees on charges of espionage after the espionage equipment was found in his home. Mr. Gunsix said that the man was working for GRU.

“For Russia, age, gender and ideology do not matter,” said Marius Sisenolevisius, National Security Adviser to President Lithuania. In addition to the annoying value of such operations, he said: “Their goal is to force us and deter us from the support of Ukraine.”

After his scout trip to Siawoli and Velanis last April, Mr. Bardem returned to Warsaw. Then he returned to Vilnius, says the prosecutors, on May 8, planted a burning device in the bed section of the IKEA store. In a temporary, it exploded early in May 9, which Russia celebrates as the “Victory Day” that forms the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

Mr. Sisenolevisius, National Security Adviser, said the timing was deliberate.

He said: “We support Ukraine, and in the logic of the Kremlin, and this means that we support the Nazis.”

The burning device that prosecution representatives say says that Mr. Bardem has planted hell, but he failed to burn the building, as it appears to be the plan.

Three days after Warsaw, a Mysterious fire The Polish investigators now believe that it was the result of the militants who in Russia destroying the largest shopping center in the city. Poland believes that Mr. Bardem, who left Felnis to Warsaw on the night of the IKEA operation, may have participated.

Mr. Bardadim, according to the prosecutors, had partners in Lithuania, including a Ukrainian colleague, who helped the IKEA attack and since then he was arrested in Poland.

The Polish prosecutors recently said they had also brought terrorist charges against a Pelierian citizen who was accused of setting fire to a large hardware store in Warsaw last April.

In February, Bosnia was handed over to Poland a Russian man, Alksandr Bezrukavyi, Who was accused of belonging to a cell of Moscow customers who coordinated sabotage against Polish goals, Balti and other goals of NATO members.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk from Poland said last month that the broad -scale investigation into Lithuania in the IKEA attack “confirmed our doubts that those responsible for shooting fires in the shopping centers in Velanis and Warso are the secret services of Russia.”

Mr. Gunskis, director of the State Security Department in Lithuania, said that the IKEA attack “was not only related to the burning ranks” but it is part of a broader campaign to “create panic”.

He added: “We are talking about sabotage, but in reality this is the state -backed terrorism.”