Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced today, "I have decided to cease the operations of the Russian consulate in Gdansk." This marks the closure of Russia's last consulate in Poland.

This means Russia's only remaining diplomatic mission operating in Poland is its embassy in Warsaw.

On 18/11, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that two Ukrainian citizens, in cooperation with Russian intelligence, caused an explosion on a railway line connecting Warsaw to the Ukrainian border region last weekend. He described this as an "unprecedented act of sabotage".

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. *Photo: Ukrinform*

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Poland's announcement, stated, "Relations with Poland have completely deteriorated. This decision is proof of that. We can only express regret."

TASS reported the same day that Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova indicated Moscow would reduce Poland's diplomatic and consular presence in Russia in response to Warsaw's latest action.

Poland previously closed two Russian consulates, in Poznan in 10/2024 and Krakow in 5/2025, accusing Moscow of orchestrating acts of sabotage within its territory. Russia retaliated by closing Polish consulates in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

Currently, Poland maintains one consulate in Irkutsk, along with an embassy and a consular office in Moscow.

Relations between Warsaw and Moscow have long been tense, but they rapidly deteriorated after Russia launched its operation in Ukraine in late 2/2022. Poland has been a staunch ally supporting Ukraine over the past years.

Thanh Tam (According to TASS, AFP, NBC News)