Polish MPs Seek Relocation of Russian Embassy Over Security Concerns

Polish lawmakers have passed a resolution calling on the government to relocate Russia’s Warsaw embassy amid rising fears of sabotage, citing concerns over the mission’s close proximity to key state buildings.

The resolution, adopted by the Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament, on Friday, was backed by 439 votes, with none against and only one abstention. 

The result reflected unanimity on national security matters between Poland’s ruling centrist coalition and the opposition, the bulk of which consists of MPs from the nationalist-populist Law and Justice (PiS) party. 

It comes amid mounting security concerns in Poland after rail lines south of Warsaw were damaged on Sunday in an explosion. Elsewhere on the same route, investigators found evidence of tampering on the tracks and broken overhead cables. 

The apparent acts of sabotage, blamed on two Ukrainian men working for Russia, are the latest in a series of incidents that have occurred in Poland since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. 

Sensitive location

In the resolution, the MPs urged the government to take steps, in line with international law, that would lead to the Russian embassy’s relocation. 

The embassy sits at 49 Belwederska Street, a prestigious stretch in central Warsaw that forms part of the city’s historic route linking major state institutions. 

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Built in the 1950s, the large embassy compound stands directly beside the Polish Defense Ministry building and lies within close reach of Belweder Palace, one of the residences of the Polish president, and the Prime Minister’s Office—a cluster of sensitive buildings that has long made its location contentious. 

The MPs also urged the government to bolster the counterintelligence and anti-drone protection of the defense ministry building, the Belweder Palace and the Prime Minister’s Office. 

In September, authorities detained a Ukrainian man and a Belarusian woman for flying a drone over the Belweder Palace and nearby government buildings. 

Prior to the resolution’s adoption on Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament that Russia is attempting to destabilize Poland through “state terrorism” and hybrid warfare. 

Cutting Moscow’s footprint 

In recent years, Poland has sharply reduced Russia’s diplomatic presence, citing concerns that Moscow is using diplomatic cover to carry out espionage and sabotage operations. 

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced that Poland would close the last remaining Russian consulate, located in the northern city of Gdańsk, following the recent suspected sabotage attacks on railway lines.