Poland demands expulsion of 45 Russians on espionage charges

Warsaw, Poland – Poland has identified 45 Russian intelligence officers using diplomatic status to stay in the country and authorities are seeking their expulsion, officials said Wednesday.

Poland’s internal security agency says it is urging the foreign ministry to urgently remove Russians from the country, who have been described as a threat to Poland’s security.

“These are people who work using their diplomatic status, but in reality carry out intelligence activities against Poland,” said Stanisla Jarin, a spokeswoman for the National Security Agency.

He said the decision to expel them was taken “considering the Russian aggression against Ukraine”.

He said the agency’s work also showed that Russian services were becoming increasingly aggressive and “working aggressively against Poland.”

In a separate statement, Jarin said the security agency had observed that the activities of 45 Russians “served the purpose of a Russian initiative aimed at undermining the stability of Poland and its allies in the international arena and posed a threat to the interests and security of our country.”

A Russian government spokesman has said that Russia’s ambassador to Poland has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry.

The Polish state security service also said it had detained a Polish national on suspicion of spying for the Russian secret services. The suspect, who was arrested March 17, worked at the registry office in Warsaw and had access to the city’s archives.

The agency said in a statement that “given the nature of the documents held by these units, the activity of the suspect poses a threat to Poland’s internal and external security.”