Poland to close last Russian consulate after railway explosions
Radosław Sikorski (photo: Getty Images)
Poland plans to close the last Russian consulate within the next few days due to the railway explosions, Sky News reports.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that Warsaw will respond to the sabotage on the railway tracks last weekend within the next few days.
According to him, Poland will close the last Russian consulate on its territory, in Gdańsk in the north of the country.
Sikorski added that the complete response to the explosive incident will not be limited to diplomatic measures.
What came before
In Poland, between November 15 and 17, infrastructure on the railway line No. 7 was damaged on the section between Warszawa Wschodnia and Dorohusk.
A damaged railway track was discovered on a key route leading to the border with Ukraine. A train driver noticed damage near the PKP Mika station in Życzyn, Garwolin County, Masovian Voivodeship.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk later confirmed that the tracks on the Warsaw–Lublin route, used to deliver aid to Ukraine, were destroyed in an explosion. Ukraine's state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, clarified that, according to the Polish side, an explosive device detonated in this area, causing damage to the track.
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz reported that the Polish army will check the security of the remaining 120 kilometers of tracks leading to the Ukrainian border to prevent further incidents.
Against this backdrop, Polish law enforcement launched an investigation. They suspect that the attacks were carried out in the interests of a foreign intelligence service.
Polish authorities will demand that Belarus detain and extradite the suspects involved in the railway explosion. One of the suspects had been convicted by a court in Lviv in May for sabotage on the territory of Ukraine. The second suspect is a native of the Donetsk region and previously worked in a prosecutor's office.
