Poland has withdrawn the operational license in Krakow with immediate effect. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski indicates that Russian secret services are involved in a devastating major fire in a Warsaw shopping center in May last year.
“As a result of the proof that Russian secret services are responsible for the reprehensible sabotage law against the Marywilska shopping center, I made the decision to withdraw the approval for the Russian consulate in Krakow,” Sikorski wrote on Platform X on Monday (formerly Twitter).
Fire broke out in different places at the same time
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had already said on Sunday that the Russian secret service was “with certainty”. The fire had destroyed around 1400 stores and service facilities in the “Marywilska 44” shopping center in Warsaw. Nobody was injured. The research showed that the fire broke out in different places in different time – an indication of deliberate arson.
The Polish police have arrested several alleged perpetrators and identified other people who have been sought. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Justice, “extensive knowledge about the course of crime was collected”. Parts of the sabotage were even documented.
Moscow announces countermeasures
Russia denies every participation in the arson. A spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Poland’s decision as part of a policy intended to deliberately destroy bilateral relations. Moscow announced countermeasures and accused Warsaw of acting against the interests of his own citizens.
The diplomatic conflict is further aggravated. As early as October 2023, Poland announced that the Russian consulate in Poznan – also because of suspected Russian sabotage. At that time, Russia responded with the closure of the Polish consulate in Saint Petersburg.
Delicious fire no isolated case?
There is also a possible connection with a arson attack on an IKEA branch in Lithuania in March 2024, a few days before the fire in Warsaw. In this case, too, the Lithuanian public prosecutor blamed the Russian military secret service.
The already tense relationships between Warsaw and Moscow have been tightened since the start of the Russian aggression war in Ukraine. Poland sees themselves exposed to Russian sabotage files, cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns because of its role as a logistics hub for Ukraine assistance.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
