A November poll shows 42.6% of Poles support cutting diplomatic ties with Russia over railway sabotage, while 28.5% oppose, according to SWResearch for Rzeczpospolita.
Poll Results
The survey, conducted on November 25–26, asked whether Poland should break diplomatic relations with Russia in response to sabotage on the Warsaw–Lublin railway line. 42.6% answered “yes,” 28.5% said “no,” and 28.8% had no opinion. The percentages were rounded to one decimal place, so they do not sum to 100%.
Expert Commentary
Przemysław Wesołowski, president of SWResearch, noted that one‑half of respondents with a primary‑school education (49%) and a similar proportion from cities with 200,000–499,000 inhabitants support severing ties. In contrast, 39% of respondents from cities with fewer than 20,000 residents expressed the opposite view. The poll sampled 800 internet users.
Railway Sabotage Incidents
In mid‑November, sabotage took place on Poland’s railway network. In Mików, tracks on the Warsaw‑East–Dorohusk line were damaged; in Gołąb, the traction network suffered similar damage. Investigators identified the perpetrators as Ukrainian citizens acting on behalf of Russian services, who fled to Belarus. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski responded by ordering the closure of the Russian consulate in Gdańsk.
Police Release Images
On Friday, police published photos of the two men suspected of orchestration sabotage. Officers urged anyone with information on the suspects’ whereabouts to contact them by calling 112 or the nearest police station, and during certain hours, by calling toll‑free numbers listed on the Warsaw Police Headquarters website. The suspects, Jewhenij Iwanow and Ołeksandr Kononow, face charges of espionage and terrorism, and a European Arrest Warrant is being prepared.
