Poland shuts down Russian Consulate in Poznan amid claims of sabotage
Poland is closing down the Russian Consulate in Poznan due to alleged sabotage attempts from Russia, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced on Oct. 22.
A number of suspected spy networks, allegedly run by Minsk and Moscow, have been uncovered in Poland over the past years.
Warsaw has positioned itself as one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, leading to a sharp deterioration of ties with Russia and Belarus.
"Russia is waging a hybrid war," Sikorski said in a post on X.
"It is attempting sabotage on Polish territory. … (I)t is my duty to react decisively. The first step is to close the Russian Consulate in Poznan."
Moscow intends to retaliate against the decision, according to Russian state media.
An infiltration attempt involving recruitment efforts by the Russian mercenary group Wagner was recently uncovered in Krakow, Poland.
Last week, the Krakow District Court began the trial of two Russian nationals, Andrei G. and Aleksei T., who the Wagner Group allegedly hired to distribute flyers in Krakow, encouraging people to join the organization.
They face charges related to foreign intelligence activities and involvement with an international armed group intending to commit acts of terrorism.
Aside from Poland, they supposedly also worked in other European cities, including Berlin and Paris, hanging flyers and distributing stickers with QR codes for enlistment.
Russia is responsible for 80% of all the foreign influence operations in the world, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said at a conference in Prague on Oct. 9.
According to Lipavsky, Europe must gear up its vigilance to counter such threats.
"We need much more determination in the fight against Kremlin influence than we have shown so far. The solution lies in strategic communication, sanctions, exposing crimes, and utilizing existing legal measures," Lipavsky said.
Sonya Bandouil
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