Poland: Warsaw hands over Russian 'spy nest' to Ukrainians

Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski on Monday said a fenced compound once used by Russia and now apparently empty had been seized.

Trzaskowski said the property would be made available to the Ukrainian community, to possibly house refugees taken in by Poland in the wake of Russia's invasion.

What did the Warsaw mayor say?

The apartment buildings, built by Russia in the 1970s, had been at the center of a dispute with Moscow that lasted decades. 

Trzaskowski said the compound had been recovered after being "unlawfully occupied by the Russians." He said the process had been given added urgency after Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

"It is extremely symbolic that we are closing this long process now, in the age of Russian aggression," Trzaskowski tweeted.

"We've taken back the so-called spy nest and want to hand it over to our Ukrainian guests," the mayor told reporters, using a Polish nickname — "Szpiegowo" — for the site.

"I'm glad that in such a symbolic way we can show that Warsaw is helping our Ukrainian friends," he added. 

Trzaskowski had himself entered the premises with a bailiff and the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland. A Russian diplomat was also at the scene to protest the move.

The Warsaw mayor posted pictures of the interior, saying it had been stripped bare.

The compound was built in a land-swap agreement between Poland and the Soviet Union in 1974.

Though Moscow received nine new properties in Warsaw, the Soviet side never reciprocated, and the buildings became empty in the 1990s.

In 2008, Warsaw ended the agreement and demanded compensation, charging that Moscow had occupied the grounds illegally. Russia has refused court orders to pay to lease the land or hand it over.

Ambassador protests seizure

Russia's ambassador to Poland, Sergey Andreyev, accused the Polish authorities of seizing Russian diplomatic property.

"This morning, bailiffs came to our diplomatic property at 100 Sobieskiego Street in Warsaw and ordered the transfer of the building to the Polish State Treasury on behalf of Warsaw City Hall," Andreyev was quoted as saying by Russia's RIA news agency.

"Polish representatives cut off the locks to the gate and ... have essentially occupied the facility," Andreyev said.

Ukraine welcomes switch 

Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Andrii Deshchytsia, said the site would "certainly serve Ukraine and Ukrainians." He said the property could be used for a school, a cultural center or accommodations.

Deshchytsia said officials would wait for legal formalities to be completed before taking over the site.

"We want to do it legally, not like the Russians," Deshchytsia said. "We don't want to occupy anything before it's legally transferred over."

Poland has taken in more than 2.6 million refugees from its southeastern neighbor since the war began — more than any other country.

rc/fb (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)