The Kremlin said the move is a response to Warsaw’s decision to withdraw permission for the Russian consulate in Gdańsk to operate.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Polish ambassador was summoned on Thursday, 27 November, and formally informed via a note that: “In response to the Polish authorities’ withdrawal of consent for the Russian Consulate General in Gdańsk as of 23 December 2025, the Russian side has decided to withdraw consent for the operation of the Polish Consulate General in Irkutsk as of 30 December 2025.”
The Kremlin described the closure as a direct response to what it called “an openly hostile and unjustified” move by Poland.
Russian officials added that “the Russian side once again reminds those who pursue hostile actions against our country for temporary political gain: the Russian Federation will not allow such actions to go unanswered.”
Russian state news agency TASS described the closure as “retaliation” against Poland.
Poland decided to shut Moscow’s last consulate in the country following sabotage attacks on the railway network between 15 and 17 November, which were reportedly carried out by Ukrainian citizens acting on behalf of Russian intelligence.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the decision on 19 November.
The Russian consulate in Gdańsk must close by midnight on 23 December, and its staff are required to leave Polish territory.
Moscow condemned Warsaw’s decision as “openly hostile and unjustified.”
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Source: IAR/PR24