Poland expels 45 Russian spies posing as diplomats: interior minister

The Polish interior minister on Wednesday said that Poland would expel 45 Russian diplomats who had conducted espionage under diplomatic cover.

Poland's Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński.

PAP/Paweł Supernak

Mariusz Kamiński wrote on Twitter: “Poland is expelling 45 Russian spies posing as diplomats. With full consistency and determination, we are breaking up the network of Russian security service agents in our country.”

Polska wydala 45 rosyjskich szpiegów udających dyplomatów. Z pełną konsekwencją i determinacją rozbijamy agenturę rosyjskich służb specjalnych w naszym kraju.

— Mariusz Kamiński (@Kaminski_M_) March 23, 2022

His tweet came after Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) earlier on Wednesday presented the foreign ministry with a list of 45 Poland-based Russian officials who it said had been conducting intelligence activities under diplomatic cover, according to news agencies. 

The ABW said the actions of the Russian intelligence operatives posing as diplomats were “putting Poland’s interests and security in danger,” public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

The Polish foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador, Sergei Andreev, over the issue, according to the IAR news agency.

Also on Wednesday, Poland announced it had detained a man on suspicion of spying for Russia, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

These developments came as the Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its 28th day.

(pm/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP