On Monday, Poland’s Foreign Ministry announced its intention to close the Russian consulate in Krakow following accusations against Russian security services for their alleged involvement in a fire at a shopping mall last year.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed on Sunday that Russian intelligence was responsible for the fire that occurred on May 12 at the Marywilska shopping mall in Warsaw.

“In response to the evidence indicating that Russian intelligence was behind this reprehensible act of sabotage at the shopping center on Marywilska Street, I have made the decision to revoke the operational license of the Russian Federation’s consulate in Krakow,” stated Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski on X.

This announcement came a month after Polish media reported that local authorities had opted to renew the consulate’s lease agreement despite opposition from residents.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry expressed strong disapproval of Poland’s move to close the Krakow consulate, warning of potential retaliatory actions.

“Warsaw is intentionally undermining bilateral relations and acting against the interests of its own citizens. A proportional response to these unjust actions will be forthcoming,” said Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry.

Ties between Russia and Poland, a NATO member, have significantly deteriorated since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine began. The two nations have expelled numerous diplomats and closed consulates in a series of reciprocal actions.

Poland has emerged as a steadfast supporter of Ukraine and serves as a crucial transit hub for Western military supplies to the war-torn nation since February 2022. Last year, Poland placed restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats, accusing Moscow of conducting a “hybrid war.”