Poland orders closure of Russian consulate in Krakow

A fire burns from a vast shopping complex in Warsaw, Poland, May 12, 2024. FILE PHOTO/Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland — Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said Monday that he was ordering the closure of Russia’s consulate in the southern city of Krakow after Polish authorities said Russia was responsible for a fire that destroyed a shopping center in Warsaw last year.

“In connection with the evidence that the Russian special services committed a reprehensible act of sabotage against the shopping center on Marywilska Street, I have decided to withdraw my consent to the operation of the consulate of the Russian Federation in Krakow,” Sikorski said in a statement.

The fire broke out May 12, 2024, in the Marywilska 44 shopping center that housed some 1,400 shops and service points. Many of the vendors were from Vietnam, and it inflicted tragedy on many in Warsaw’s Vietnamese community.

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The announcement comes amid rising concerns in Europe over Russian attempts to destabilize the region through covert operations.
Russia in the past has denied accusations that it is carrying out such attacks.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X late Sunday that Polish officials “now know for certain that the massive fire on Marywilska was the result of arson commissioned by Russian services.”

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“The actions were coordinated by a person residing in Russia. Some of the perpetrators are already in custody, while the rest have been identified and are being sought,” Tusk said. “We will catch them all!”