Warsaw seizes school building used by Russian embassy, Kremlin warns of “harsh” consequences

Warsaw city authorities have seized a building from the Russian embassy that was being used as a high school for the children of Russian diplomats, despite a court order issued in 2016 to vacate the property.

Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski has said that the court ruling also obliges Russia to pay 31 million zloty (€6.75 million) plus interest for the illegal occupation of the building at 45 Kielecka Street in the prestigious Mokotów district, which was taken over after the Second World War and used without paying fees or taxes.

Russia argues that the occupied building was a diplomatic post, a claim Poland denies. The seizure was met with anger from Moscow, which in a statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry called Warsaw’s decision “brazen” and “going beyond civilised international communication” and warned of “harsh” consequences.

Poland has been in dispute with the Russian Federation over this and several other properties, including a former Russian diplomatic compound called “Spyville” (Szpiegowo), which was seized last year.

According to a statement from Russia, 27 people lived in the school building and all voluntarily left the property. However, according to the deputy mayor of Warsaw, Tomasz Bratek, the Polish authorities had to use force to enter the site.

“At first, the Russian side refused to open the gates. We had to call in a locksmith who… brought us into this property,” said Bartek, as quoted by radio RMF FM. Only then did the deputy ambassador decide to hand over the keys.

“[It] will not be left without our harsh reaction and consequences for the Polish authorities and Polish interests in Russia,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement issued after the seizure. The Russian ambassador to Poland, Sergei Andreyev, sent a formal note to the Polish foreign ministry expressing protest against “this forceful take over”.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev hinted over the weekend at cutting diplomatic ties with Poland over the event, reported Russian state news agency TASS. While Zakharova said it would harm Russian citizens, Medvedev escalated his statements by saying on Twitter that Poland “must not exist” and later adding on Telegram that Russia “must finally reclaim all our lands”.

Moscow’s claims that the seizure violated international law were denied by a spokesman for Poland’s special services. “The actions of the Warsaw authorities were aimed at ending the illegal use of the building,” said Stanisław Żaryn on Twitter. “The Kremlin is trying to force Poland to accept the illegal actions Russia has been carrying out for years, illegally occupying a building that does not belong to itself.”

Warsaw authorities have already announced that they will apply to the governor to reassign the building for other educational purposes as the seized property is in good condition and has functioning educational facilities.

Since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Poland has already taken over the complex of diplomatic buildings at 100 Sobieskiego Street in Warsaw and a holiday resort outside of Warsaw, both claimed by the Russian embassy.

Main photo credit: Kuba Atys / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.