“D. Bardadim was convicted of continuous criminal activity, of preparing to commit terrorist acts, and of setting fire to Ikea,” Judge Sonata Raupėnaitė-Lekarauskienė said in the ruling.
The court also convicted him of acquiring specialized training and traveling to both Lithuania and neighboring Latvia with the intent to carry out acts of terrorism.
Prosecutor Tomas Uldukis had sought a four-year sentence, saying investigators determined Bardadim acted in the interests of Russian military intelligence.
“The essential circumstances of this case are that the person was found to have committed a terrorist act and that, in the court's assessment, he acted in the interests of the Russian military intelligence services,” he said after the ruling.
Investigators say Bardadim planned attacks not only in Vilnius but also in other Lithuanian cities and in Latvia. According to court records, on May 8, 2024, an explosive device with a timer detonated overnight inside the Vilnius Ikea store, sparking a fire that was contained before it could spread and cause injuries.
Two direct perpetrators, both under 20 and holding Ukrainian citizenship, carried out the attack. The other suspect was later arrested in Poland after setting fire to a shopping mall in Warsaw. Authorities have issued international arrest notices for several other individuals believed to be involved.
Bardadim was detained on May 13, 2024, near Panevėžys, Lithuania, after police intercepted information that he planned to travel by bus to Riga with incendiary materials, LRT said.
Lithuanian officials told Baltic news service BNS that the Ikea attack was orchestrated by a terrorist cell and likely ordered by Russian intelligence. They said the plot was coordinated through encrypted messaging apps.