Russian Embassy says Poland confiscated all money from diplomatic mission's accounts
Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev said that the Polish authorities had seized money from the accounts of the Russian diplomatic mission and trade office.
Source: the ambassador in a comment to Russian Kremlin-aligned news outlet RIA Novosti, reports European Pravda
"We have received a message from the prosecutor's office that funds from the accounts of the embassy and trade mission in Santander Bank have been transferred to the accounts of the prosecutor's office," the ambassador said.
According to him, the funds in question were substantial and were held in both US dollars and Polish zlotys. Andreev said that this is a gross violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Warsaw previously froze the accounts of the Russian embassy after Russia's invasion of Ukraine over suspicions of possible use for money laundering or terrorism. Santander Bank, meanwhile, announced that it had terminated its cooperation with the embassy and closed the accounts.
According to the Rzeczpospolita newspaper, it was about US$912,000 and 800,000 zlotys [approximately US$180,000]. At the same time, 45 Russian diplomats were expelled from Poland on charges of espionage.
In May 2022, in response to the blocking of the accounts of the Russian Embassy in Warsaw, Moscow froze the accounts of the Polish diplomatic mission.
Background: Polish airline LOT refused to check in Russian tennis player Vitalia Dyachenko, who planned to take part in a tournament in Corsica and whose return route from Cairo was via Warsaw.
Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!