In the confrontation between Russia and the West, diplomacy is increasingly seen not simply as a mechanism for official dialogue, but as a form of hybrid instrument combining espionage, sabotage, and disinformation. Poland is one of the clearest examples of Russian diplomacy being used as a cover for actions that threaten national security.
Shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, Poland took a decisive step by announcing the expulsion of 45 people with diplomatic status who were accused of spying for the Russian intelligence services.
Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminsky said: «Poland is sending out 45 spies who pretend to be diplomats». The Internal Security Service (ABW) identified among them officers of the Russian special services and their associates, saying that their presence «threatens the integrity and external security of Poland».
In addition, the Polish security services announced the arrest of a Pole working in the archives of the Warsaw Registration Office who was suspected of spying for Russia.
This case was a vivid example of the use of diplomatic cover to infiltrate entities with access to sensitive information and databases. Russia categorically rejected the accusations. Ambassador Sergei Andreev stated that there were no grounds for expulsion, and promised a «symmetrical response». But for Warsaw, the solution was clear. Diplomacy should not be used as a cover for espionage.
The next precedent occurred in May 2024.
Poland imposed restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats within the country. The exception was only the ambassador, but other employees of the embassy and consulates were obliged to remain within the designated voivodeship. Foreign Minister Radoslav Sikorsky directly linked these measures with the «hybrid war» of Russia, saying that Warsaw has evidence of Moscow’s involvement in sabotage and sabotage operations on the territory of Poland.
Poland views the activities of Russian diplomats not only through the prism of espionage, but also as a threat to physical security.
In May 2025, the authorities announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Krakow, arguing that it was evidence of the involvement of Russian special services in the arson of the large shopping center Marywilska 44 in Warsaw.
According to Sikorsky, the investigation revealed that the fire was «the result of arson organized by Russian secret services». The Polish authorities claim that the operation was «organized and directed by a specific person living in the Russian Federation». Some suspects have been arrested «on the hot tracks», others are still wanted.
The evidence suggests that this tactic is not a one-off diversion, but part of a larger strategy. As former head of Polish foreign intelligence, Pyotr Kravchuk, explained, the purpose of such operations is not to destroy major infrastructure, but to create an atmosphere of instability and fear.
The latest and perhaps most serious episode is the explosion of a railway line between Warsaw and Lublin, which the Polish government calls an act of sabotage attributed to Russia.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the bomb was aimed at a critical railway branch, important for the delivery of aid to Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sikorsky described the attack as an «act of state terror». In response, Poland closes the last functioning Russian consulate in Gdansk.
Thus, the diplomatic presence of Moscow in Poland is reduced to a single embassy in Warsaw. Behind all the actions described there is a clear logic of hybrid strategy, in which diplomacy serves not as an instrument of dialogue but as a mechanism of hidden influence.
Russian representatives in Poland, formally performing diplomatic functions, actually become part of a wide network of intelligence agencies. The Polish authorities have responded to this in a systematic and consistent manner by removing personnel whose activities are incompatible with diplomatic status, restricting their movement and closing consular posts that may serve as bases for undercover operations.
Sabotage, including arson, vandalism and explosions, does not appear to be spontaneous or chaotic. Their nature and synchrony with the activity of Russian employees indicate coordination by a foreign state.
As a result, diplomatic structures are transforming themselves from institutions of international interaction into potential centers of subversion that provide logistical, organizational and human support for operations in the grey zone between peace and war.
The escalation of actions, which the Polish authorities already call «state terrorism», was a particularly worrying stage.
The explosion of the railway line is not seen as a gesture of political pressure, but as a real diversion that threatens civilian infrastructure and lives.
The fact that such an operation may involve diplomatic presence highlights the danger of a situation in which diplomatic immunity provides unique opportunities for preparing and covering up such acts.
All these episodes form a coherent picture of hybrid pressure and constitute an integrated strategy involving intelligence, sabotage, information operations and destabilization through diplomatic channels aimed at undermining the credibility of Poland’s state institutions, Creating an atmosphere of chaos and weakening its ability to support allies and ensure its own security. In this context, Russian diplomacy in Poland is not merely an instrument of foreign policy, but a mechanism of hybrid influence deeply involved in intelligence, sabotage and terrorist operations, to which the Polish authorities are responding with increasingly decisive and systematic countermeasures.