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Poland has declared three diplomats from Russia’s consulate in Krakow persona non grata. The move comes after evidence emerged implicating Russian intelligence in orchestrating a May 2024 arson attack on a Warsaw shopping center, Deputy Foreign Minister Henryka Mościcka-Dendys announced, as reported by Argument.
“The diplomatic staff of the consulate has been designated as individuals whose presence in our country is no longer welcome,” Mościcka-Dendys told reporters.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the decision to close the Russian Consulate General in Kraków earlier today.
“Due to evidence that Russian intelligence services committed a reprehensible act of sabotage against the shopping center on Marywilska Street, I have decided to withdraw my consent for the operation of the Russian Federation’s consulate in Kraków,” Sikorski wrote on X.
The fire at the Marywilska 44 shopping center was the result of an intentional arson attack orchestrated on orders from Russian intelligence, according to a joint statement put out by Polish Justice Minister Adam Bodnar and Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak.
Spanning 121 days, the inquiry saw the deployment of 55 prosecutors and 100 police officers. Investigators gathered testimony from more than 70 witnesses and over 500 victims.
“Based on the evidence collected, we know that the fire was the result of arson committed at the request of the Russian special services. We have in-depth knowledge about the order and course of the arson, as well as the way in which the perpetrators documented it. Their actions were organized and directed by an identified person residing in the Russian Federation,” wrote the Polish officials.
According to the statement, some of the perpetrators have already been detained, while others have been identified and are being sought by the authorities.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the investigation’s findings and vowed to hold to account all those responsible.
“We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services. Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for. We will get you all!” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Officials in Moscow were quick to deny the allegations.
“Many different accusations against Russia are being voiced in Poland. This is likely part of an entirely Russophobic and unfriendly stance toward our country. All of these accusations are always completely unfounded and groundless,” commented Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“Warsaw continues to deliberately undermine relations, acting against the interests of its citizens. An adequate response to these inadequate steps will follow shortly,» said Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
The blaze at Marywilska 44 erupted during the night of May 12, 2024, engulfing more than 63,000 square meters and reducing to ashes the shops and service points of roughly 1,400 tenants, most of which were members of the Vietnamese community. The fire raged for over five hours, with experts noting an abnormally fast spread of the flames — a pattern deemed inconsistent with accidental fires.
In a related move, Poland shut down the Russian consulate in Poznań in October 2024, also citing suspected sabotage operations allegedly linked to Russian intelligence.
The accusations and the closure of the facility in Krakow come against the backdrop of mounting European concerns over Russia’s alleged attempts to destabilize the region using covert methods.
Moscow has previously rejected accusations that it is responsible for orchestrating arson and sabotage campaigns on European soil. However, The Insider has extensively reported on Russian intelligence operations across the EU — such as the 2014 arms depots explosions in the Czech Republic, information warfare campaigns, and repeated acts of vandalism in Latvia and Estonia.
Russia still has a consulate in the port city of Gdansk and an embassy in Warsaw.