Poland to Close Last Russian Consulate in Gdańsk Citing 'Unprecedented Act of Sabotage'

Poland Orders Closure of Gdańsk Consulate

Poland announced on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, its decision to close the last remaining Russian consulate in the country, located in Gdańsk. The move comes in response to what Polish authorities describe as an 'unprecedented act of sabotage' targeting a critical railway line. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that he had decided to 'withdraw consent for the operation of the Russian consulate in Gdansk,' following repeated warnings to Moscow regarding hostile actions against Poland.

Railway Sabotage and Accusations Against Russian Intelligence

The decision stems from a recent incident involving a railway line connecting Warsaw to the Ukrainian border. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described a weekend explosion on this route as an 'unprecedented act of sabotage' aimed at Polish state security. Foreign Minister Sikorski further characterized the incident as 'an act of state terrorism' with a 'clear intention to cause human casualties.' Investigations by Polish security services have identified two Ukrainian nationals, named as Oleksandr K. and Yevhenii I., as suspects, alleging they were working with Russian intelligence services. These individuals reportedly fled to Belarus shortly after the incident.

Details of the sabotage include:

• A steel clamp attached to the track, 'likely intended to derail a train'.
• The detonation of a military-grade explosive device as a freight train passed, though no injuries were reported in this specific incident.

Diplomatic Fallout and Russian Response

The closure of the Gdańsk consulate leaves only the Russian Embassy in Warsaw as Russia's diplomatic presence in Poland. In response to Poland's decision, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova indicated that Moscow would retaliate by reducing Poland's diplomatic and consular presence in Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed regret over the move, stating that relations with Poland have 'completely deteriorated' and accusing Poland of 'Russophobia.' Peskov suggested that the Polish authorities' desire is to 'reduce any possibility of consular or diplomatic relations to zero.'

Broader Context of Tensions

This latest development is part of a broader pattern of escalating tensions between Poland and the Russian Federation since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Poland, a key logistics hub for military supplies to Ukraine, has reported a wave of arson, sabotage, and cyberattacks. This is not the first time Poland has taken such measures; it previously closed Russian consulates in Kraków in May 2025, following a fire blamed on Moscow-backed operatives, and in Poznań in October 2024, citing concerns over suspected Russian sabotage and 'hybrid warfare' activities. In light of these threats, Poland's Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the deployment of up to 10,000 soldiers to protect critical infrastructure, including railways.