Lithuania charges six suspects with terrorism over attack on Ukraine-bound military aid

Lithuania’s prosecutors have referred a criminal case to court in which six foreign nationals are accused of planning a terrorist attack in September 2024 targeting a private military supplier in Šiauliai that supports Ukraine, the General Prosecutor’s Office said on January 16.

Artūras Urbelis, chief prosecutor of the Organised Crime and Corruption Investigation Department, said the indictment was drawn up on January 12 and submitted to Šiauliai Regional Court on January 14, Caliber.Az reports via Lithuanian media.

The six defendants face charges of participating in a terrorist group, attempting a terrorist act, and financing terrorist activities.

“The defendants hold various citizenships: one Spanish citizen, one dual Spanish-Colombian citizen, and citizens of Colombia, Cuba, Russia and Belarus,” Urbelis said.

Prosecutors said the target was UAB TVC Solutions’ infrastructure and mobile stations for radio spectrum analysis intended for Ukraine’s armed forces.

Investigations into four additional suspects are ongoing. One was arrested in Colombia and is undergoing extradition, while three remain wanted internationally. Lithuanian authorities seek Alexeis Pecora, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, and Mayra Eukaris De La Lastra Nistal.

Prosecutors said the group’s actions may have been coordinated from Russia by Cuban and Colombian nationals linked to the GRU.

“Data from Lithuania’s preliminary investigation provide reasonable grounds to suspect that the attempted sabotage in Šiauliai was carried out on the orders of and for the benefit of Russia’s GRU,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The most serious charge carries five to 15 years in prison. The indictment totals 258 pages and the case file contains 42 volumes.

In November 2024, two Spanish citizens were arrested in connection with the attack after fleeing to Riga, where they were detained and transferred to Lithuania.

Russian connection and plot details

All suspects still being sought are reportedly in Russia.

Saulius Briginas, deputy head of the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, said the attack involved multiple stages, including suspects travelling to Lithuania to gather intelligence.

“They arrived with the specific task of setting fire to the radio spectrum analysis stations,” Briginas said. Gasoline and other materials were prepared, but the arson failed after passersby intervened. Two more suspects later attempted the attack, but “the materials they prepared and the method they used did not pose a serious threat to the military equipment,” Briginas said.

Authorities said a Cuban national later travelled from Russia to relay information to the plot organisers. Pretrial data “allow us to reasonably conclude that unidentified – but being identified – Russian intelligence officers organised these actions,” Urbelis said.

Briginas added that the alleged masterminds are beyond Lithuania’s jurisdiction but have been placed on international wanted lists.

“They are identified, and international searches have been initiated,” Briginas said. “They have effectively been eliminated from further criminal activity.”

Propaganda objectives

Urbelis said Russian-aligned outlets falsely reported the attack as a major fire destroying Ukraine-bound equipment.

“The coordinated messaging about crimes that had not actually occurred clearly signalled to us that the masterminds were linked to Russian intelligence services,” Urbelis said.

Prosecutors said the attack aimed to destroy military aid and undermine Lithuanian support for Ukraine.

“The goal was to create dissatisfaction with aid to Ukraine and to suggest that part of Lithuanian society opposes supporting Ukraine,” Urbelis said. “The target was chosen both to damage equipment and to send a propaganda message.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev