Two citizens of Moldova convicted in Estonia for arson of the Slava Ukraina restaurant

In the Harju County Court of Estonia, two citizens of Moldova were found guilty of setting fire to the Slava Ukraina restaurant in Tallinn in January of this year and other crimes. According to investigators, these actions were commissioned by Russian special services as part of Russia's hybrid war against Estonia and its allies. This was reported by 'Glaikom' citing ERR.

The Estonian Prosecutor's Office accused junior Ivan Kikhayal (born in 1992) of espionage and carrying out sabotage attacks in favor of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU). The senior Kikhayal (note: the accused have the same names) (born in 1987) was only charged with damage to someone else's property. The investigation established that the junior was tasked with carrying out arsons organized as part of Russia's hybrid war.

The investigation also found that since 2023, representatives of the GRU systematically prepared and organized provocations and sabotage in the Baltic states to destabilize the situation and create fear in society, damage objects of symbolic significance, and undermine trust in the state.

The Ukrainian restaurant in Tallinn became the target of criminal activity carried out by citizens of Moldova, working for Russian special services as part of Russia's hybrid war against the Baltic states. The court found them guilty of arson of the restaurant and other crimes that were also aimed at destabilizing the situation in the region.