Poland has ordered the closure of one of Russia’s consulates and expelled its staff, citing Moscow’s involvement in sabotage and cyberwarfare activities.
In a statement, Poland’s foreign ministry announced that Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski had revoked permission for the Russian consulate in Poznań to operate.
The diplomatic staff of the consulate were declared personae non gratae and ordered to leave Poland.
According to a report by Notes From Poland, this move follows a recent sabotage attempt in Wrocław, which is within the consulate's jurisdiction, reportedly inspired by foreign intelligence.
Polish security services accused Russia of engaging in hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks and attacks on Poland’s eastern border, which is part of the Schengen area. The foreign ministry stated that Sikorski has demanded Russia cease such actions, warning that further decisive measures would follow if these activities continued.
In response, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, described Poland’s decision as a "hostile step" and promised a "painful response."
The decision comes amid an ongoing investigation by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) into sabotage activities linked to Russian intelligence.
This week, Gazeta Wyborcza published details of a case involving a Ukrainian man with Russian sympathies, who was allegedly planning to set fire to a paint factory in Wrocław. According to the ABW, he was acting under instructions from a Russian intelligence operative via Telegram. The man has since confessed and is facing trial.
Poland has previously suggested Russia was behind other sabotage attempts.
In May, nine people were charged with carrying out acts of sabotage on behalf of the Kremlin. Later that month, Sikorski imposed movement restrictions on Russian diplomats due to Moscow’s involvement in hybrid warfare.
This is not the first diplomatic spat between the two nations.
In 2022, Poland expelled 45 Russian diplomats it accused of spying, and Russia retaliated by closing the Polish consulate in Smolensk. Poland has also blamed Russia for cyberattacks and its role in exacerbating the migrant crisis on the Belarusian border.
