An improvised explosive device was detonated outside a fast-food restaurant in Limassol’s old port area in the early hours of Tuesday, the third criminal act against a 40-year-old Russian businessman in less than four months — a man under police protection and a close associate of the murdered Stavros Demosthenous.
The device, described as low-powered, was placed at the entrance to the premises just before 5am on Tuesday 24 March by two suspects who approached on foot. It exploded, causing damage to the property.
Police believe those behind the attacks belong to a criminal organisation that demands money from businesspeople under threat, offering protection in return, and carries out arson attacks on their properties as a means of extortion when refused. Police described the pattern in a previous remand hearing for one of those arrested in connection with attacks between November 2025 and January 2026, two of which targeted the businessman.
The two earlier attacks were both arsons. On 26 November 2025, luxury vehicles belonging to the businessman were set alight in a fenced car park in Mouttagiaka after a perpetrator entered on foot and doused them with flammable material. On 18 December 2025, a perpetrator approached his off-licence on the Germasogeia coastal road and set fire to the entrance — an incident captured on CCTV.
The switch from arson to explosives has been flagged by Limassol CID investigators as a significant change in method. Limassol Assistant Police Director Lefteris Kyriakou said the businessman had not recently received threats, though complaints had been made in the past. Called in for a statement on Tuesday, he told police little of use.
Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from the area, taking statements and submitting evidence from the scene for forensic examination.
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