Russian agents set fire to a huge Ikea store because “the colours are same as Ukraine flag”, Lithuanian prosecutors have alleged.

The Kremlin’s military intelligence has been accused of orchestrating an arson attack on the shop in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, in May last year. It will be tried as an act of terrorism.

The fire broke out in the store three days before a shopping centre in neighbouring Poland went up in flames.

Authorities there said that they suspected it may have been part of a growing Russian sabotage campaign.

“Ikea’s colours are the same as Ukraine’s flag – this has strong symbolic meaning,” said Arturas Urbelis, of the Lithuanian prosecutor general’s office, adding that the store was not chosen at random.