Two Moldovan nationals with criminal backgrounds in ATM theft and organized crime in Russia were recruited by Russian secret services to carry out arson attacks in Estonia, according to an investigation published by RISE Moldova.
The first incident occurred on January 17, when a store in Osula, located just 10 kilometers from a NATO military base, was deliberately set on fire. According to the investigation, the 32-year-old suspect crossed into Latvia from Russia, driving a Jaguar with Polish plates, before entering Estonia. He allegedly filmed the act on his phone and received €1,700 in cryptocurrency as payment.
The following day, the same individual was ordered to attack Slava Ukraina, a symbolic Ukrainian-themed restaurant in Tallinn. On January 27, he returned to Estonia with a 37-year-old accomplice. After two days of preparation, the pair doused the restaurant in gasoline and set it ablaze, again recording the crime. The footage was later posted online.
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Following the arson, the two Moldovans fled to Lithuania and, within days, were arrested in Italy. This week, an Estonian court sentenced both men for their roles in the attacks.
The RISE Moldova investigation highlights how the Kremlin is allegedly using organized crime networks from Moldova to stage politically motivated sabotage operations in NATO-member countries.