Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski has accused Russia of orchestrating the May 2024 fire that destroyed a large shopping centre in Warsaw, claiming Moscow recruited individuals through the messaging platform Telegram to carry out the attack.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Sikorski called the act “completely unacceptable” and confirmed that Poland had responded by shutting down Russia’s consulate in Krakow. This marks a significant step in Warsaw’s efforts to curb Russian influence and intelligence operations within the country.

The fire at the Marywilska shopping centre destroyed over 1,400 small businesses, many operated by members of Warsaw’s Vietnamese community. Despite the scale of the blaze, no casualties were reported.

“We have evidence they commissioned people residing in Poland, contacted them via Telegram, and paid them to start the fire,” Sikorski said. “It was a miracle that no one was injured.”

The Polish government has concluded that the attack was part of a broader pattern of hybrid warfare conducted by Russia. Hybrid warfare involves covert or indirect attacks that damage infrastructure or spread instability, while avoiding overt acts of war.

Following the incident and the outcome of the investigation, Sikorski announced the closure of Russia’s consulate in Krakow, stating the move was intended to limit Moscow’s capacity for espionage within Poland.

“If these hybrid attacks continue, we will take further measures,” Sikorski warned.

Russia has denied all allegations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claims as “absolutely groundless” and accused Poland of engaging in “Russophobic” behavior. “This is part of a broader hostile policy by Poland aimed at worsening our bilateral relations,” he said.

Russia’s foreign ministry also responded, with spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accusing Warsaw of “deliberately destroying relations” between the two nations and acting “against the interests of its own citizens.”

The Marywilska fire came amid growing tensions between the two countries, particularly after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, Poland has detained and prosecuted several individuals for sabotage linked to Russian intelligence.

Polish authorities spent a year investigating the shopping centre fire and determined it had been coordinated by a person based in Russia. Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that some of those involved are already in custody, while others have been identified and are currently being pursued.

The fire caused widespread financial loss for business owners, many of whom lost important documents and large amounts of cash stored at the site due to security concerns about keeping them at home.

In the aftermath, a new shopping centre — Modlinska 6D — opened in October 2024 to accommodate displaced traders.

Only one Russian consulate now remains open in Poland, in addition to the embassy. The consulate in Poznań was previously shut down following separate accusations of sabotage and cyberattacks. While Sikorski emphasized that Poland is not yet severing all diplomatic ties with Moscow, he did not rule out further action if provocations continue.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said.