Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergei Andreev left the country. The day before, he also ignored an invitation to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and did not explain the violation of the countryʼs airspace by a Russian missile.
This was stated by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski, reports Gazeta.PL.
"Ambassador Andreev himself proved his culture and professionalism. From what I heard, he has already left our territory," noted Sikorski. At the same time, the Russian ambassador was not expelled from Poland, nor did he ask for his resignation.
Later, the Russian Embassy reported in a technical note that Sergei Andreev was absent from March 26 to April 4. At this time, his duties will be performed by the temporary chargé dʼaffaires of the embassy.
What preceded
On March 24, at 04:23, a Russian rocket flying at an altitude of 400 meters at a speed of 800 kmph flew 2 kilometers deep into the territory of Poland. The missile spent 39 seconds in the area of Oserduv village. Having fixed it, two pairs of F-16s — two Polish and two American fighters — were lifted into the air. The Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Poland said that shooting down a Russian missile would be risky, especially for the local population. And they added that if the missile had flown deep into Poland, they could have decided to shoot it down with F-16 planes.
Against this background, the Polish Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to explain the violation of Polish airspace by a Russian missile. Ambassador Sergei Andreev did not show up for the meeting. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland is now interested in whether the ambassador follows the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow and whether he is able to properly represent the interests of the Russian Federation. Andreev himself told the Russian media that he allegedly did not receive evidence to support the accusations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Poland Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysh called Andreevʼs behavior "insult". Warsaw promised not to ignore these incidents and will prepare a demarche for Andreev.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Andrzej Shejna added that a note of protest over the violation of Polish airspace by a Russian missile can be sent in another way — for example, through the Polish ambassador in Moscow, Krzysztof Krajewski.