Poland to close Russian Consulate for alleged sabotage attempts

​​​​​​​By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) - Poland will close the Russian Consulate in Poznan and expel diplomats for sabotage attempts by Moscow, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Tuesday.

"I have information that Russia is behind sabotage operations in Poland and allied countries," Sikorski told reporters in Warsaw. "I have decided therefore to withdraw consent for the functioning of the Russian consulate in Poznan," he said, declaring the diplomats "personae non gratae."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Poland's move was "a hostile step" and vowed a "painful" response, according to RIA news agency.

Russo-Polish relations have hit new lows, with Warsaw accusing Moscow of widespread misinformation and infiltration campaigns inside Poland and sponsoring far-right groups as the war in Ukraine drags on.

A report by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in July showed the extent of Russian covert operations in Europe. It noted that Russian intelligence operations in the West were supported by a system of legal and illegal residents, front organizations and local collaborators, allowing Russian intelligence to maintain a significant presence across the continent.