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Poland will close the Russian consulate in Poznan

2024-10-22 18:54:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Poland will close the Russian consulate in Poznan

Poland will close the Russian consulate in its western city of Poznan over suspected Russian sabotage efforts, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.

Moscow has said that it will retaliate against this decision, reported the Russian news agency RIA.

Poland has said that its role as a country that serves as a hub for transporting military equipment to Ukraine has made it a target for Russian espionage and acts of espionage.

The decision to close the consulate follows a ruling by a Polish court involving a 51-year-old Ukrainian man accused of planning to set fire to a factory in the Polish city of Wroclaw.

The daily Gazeta Wyborcza reported last week that prosecutors reached an agreement for the suspect to be sentenced to three years in prison.

However, a court in Wroclaw rejected the agreement, saying it was too lenient.

The case is now expected to go back to trial.

"The court believes that there is strong evidence of a sabotage attempt and foreign intelligence was behind this sabotage," Sikorski told reporters.

"As Foreign Minister, I have information that the Russian Federation is behind sabotage attempts in Poland and other countries. In this regard, we have withdrawn the permission of the Russian consulate in Poznan".

Russian news agency RIA quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying this was another "hostile step" and vowed a "painful" response.

Western officials believe operatives paid by Russia are behind several crimes across Europe, including arson of factories and critical infrastructure, physical attacks and even a plot to kill the head of Germany's biggest arms company.

Russia, on the other hand, constantly denies any involvement./ REL





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