Russia has announced it will shut down Poland’s consulate in Kaliningrad, in response to Warsaw’s decision to close the Russian consulate in Krakow earlier this year.
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that it was “withdrawing consent for the functioning of the Consulate General of Poland in Kaliningrad” from 29 August. It said the Polish chargé d’affaires in Moscow had been summoned and handed a diplomatic note formalising the expulsion.
“This step was caused by the unfounded and hostile actions of the Polish side,” the ministry said, citing Warsaw’s recent moves to reduce Russia’s consular presence in Poland.
Poland—one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters within NATO and the European Union—ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Krakow in May, after accusing Moscow of orchestrating a fire that destroyed a shopping centre in the capital last year. The incident was labelled part of Russia’s “hybrid war” against the West.
Russian diplomats in Poland have been subject to increasing restrictions. In May 2024, Warsaw limited their movements on national security grounds, and later shut down the Russian consulate in Poznan. The Polish government has warned that further closures are possible if Moscow continues to carry out hostile activities.
In retaliation, the Kremlin closed Poland’s consulate in Saint Petersburg in January.
Tensions between the two countries have worsened significantly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Poland has provided Kyiv with political backing and military aid, and serves as a critical transit hub for Western arms shipments.
