Poland has ordered the expulsion of 45 Russian Embassy and trade mission staff members, accusing them of working for Moscow's secret services and describing them as a danger to the country's and NATO's security.
Poland's Internal Security Agency said on March 23 that it had asked the Foreign Ministry to urgently remove the Russians from the country.
“These are people who...operate using their diplomatic status, but in reality conduct intelligence activities against Poland,” said Stanislaw Zaryn, the state security spokesman.
Officials said Russian Ambassador Sergei Andreev was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and given a note informing him of the expulsion of 45 employees of the embassy and Russia’s trade mission.
Andreev, who was not among those being expelled, denied the named individuals were involved in spying, telling reporters they “were carrying out normal diplomatic and trade activity.”
He said Russia has the right to respond in a like manner.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina said that “Russia has been waging a barbaric war against Ukraine for over three weeks. We and other Western countries are treated as a key enemy.”
“Further tolerating this type of illegal activity by Russian services would create a particular threat to Poland’s security, but also to our NATO and European Union allies, with whom we coordinate all such activities,” he said.