Poland will expel 45 Russian diplomats who are suspected of working as spies, the Internal Security Agency announced on Wednesday.
The suspected individuals were described as “officers of the Russian special services and persons associated with them” enjoying diplomatic status in Poland. Agency head Krzysztof Waclawek has requested the Foreign Ministry to declare them persona non grata, the statement said.
The ISA said it had collected evidence of the suspects’ clandestine activities. One of them is associated with a Polish citizen arrested on March 17 on suspicion of espionage for Russia.
The looming expulsion of such a large number of diplomats is “due to Russia’s policy towards the Republic of Poland and its allies” and the Russian attack against Ukraine, the statement said.
The Russian diplomatic service confirmed that its ambassador in Warsaw, Sergey Andreev, was summoned by the Polish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. Andreev confirmed that he was given a note with the names of 45 Russian diplomats who must leave the country within five days. Moscow will respond to the expulsions with corresponding actions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.