Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has announced that Poland is ordering the closure of the Russian consulate in the city of Poznań in the west of the country.
The announcement on October 22 came after alleged “sabotage” on Polish territory. Moscow has reacted, warning that it would retaliate in a manner that was “painful” for Poland.
Earlier in October, a 51-year-old man linked with Russian intelligence was detained after allegedly planning to set fire to a paint factory in the southwestern Polish city of Wrocław.
Sikorski accused Russia of waging a hybrid war, claiming he had evidence that it was behind a number of recent attempts at sabotage in Poland and other NATO nations.
“I have withdrawn my consent for the Russian Federation to operate a consulate in Poznań. We demand an end to the hybrid war against Poland and its allies. Should it continue, we reserve the right to take further decisive actions,” Sikorski said.
In a post on platform X, he added that Russia was “attempting to commit sabotage on Polish soil”.
“As the foreign minister, it is my duty to respond decisively. The first step is to close the Russian consulate in Poznań. We will not back down. We’re defending Poland; we’re defending the Polish people.”
The announcement has increased tension between Russia and Poland, which has been a staunch backer of Kyiv and a fierce critic of the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine.
Responding to Poland’s action, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described Poland’s move as “another hostile step” and declared that there would be “painful” retaliation.
Prosecutors have charged the 51-year-old man alleged to have planned to set fire to a paint factory with being a member of an organised crime group and planning sabotage for Russian intelligence. The group he is alleged to have been a part of is accused of having committed arson on a pallet plant near Warsaw and an Italian restaurant in the coastal city of Gdynia.
In May this year, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed it was likely that the Russians had been behind a fire at a shopping mall in Warsaw and set up the establishment of a Russian-influence commission. That came despite parliament having last year disbanded a similar body set up by the former PiS administration.
In 2023, under the previous Conservative PiS Government, 14 foreign nationals, mostly Ukrainians working as part of a Russian spy and sabotage network in Poland, were sentenced to between one and six years in prison.
