Latest news with #HostileState
Russia Today
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Poland advises citizens to leave Russia
Poland's Foreign Ministry has issued an advisory strongly recommending that all Polish nationals residing in Russia leave the country if possible. The warning comes as ties between Moscow and Warsaw have sunk to historic lows amid the Ukraine conflict and tit-for-tat diplomatic restrictions. According to the statement published on the government website, which drew attention from the Russian and Polish media this week, the ministry cautions against all travel to Russia, citing the Ukraine conflict and Russia's official designation of Poland as a 'hostile state.' Russia officially included Poland – which has joined Western sanctions and has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters – on its list of 'unfriendly states' in 2022. The designation allows the Russian authorities to impose restrictions on diplomatic missions and often entails limitations on trade and monetary transactions. Consequently, 'Polish citizens residing in Russia [are recommended to] leave its territory by available commercial and private means, unless their personal, family, or professional circumstances require them to remain in the country,' the ministry said. Polish officials also warned of potential problems with direct consular assistance to Polish citizens due to the closing of diplomatic missions, which may require visitors 'to travel to very distant consular offices.' The advisory highlights several obstacles facing Polish nationals in Russia, including the suspension of direct flights between the two countries, restricted travel options, and difficulties accessing funds via Polish bank cards. It also claims that Polish nationals may face 'arbitrary detention' while in Russia. Over the past several years, there have been no high-profile cases of a Polish national being detained in the country. Diplomatic tensions between the two countries have risen since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. In May, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Krakow, accusing Moscow of involvement in a 2024 fire at a shopping mall in Warsaw – an accusation Russia has denied. In response, Russia earlier this month ordered the closure of Poland's consulate in Kaliningrad, effective from the end of August, citing 'hostile actions' by Warsaw.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Starmer firebombs linked to hostile state
Counter-terrorism police are investigating the possibility that a hostile state may have been behind the arson attacks against the Prime Minister. On Tuesday night, a 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of targeting two properties and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer, was questioned by specialist detectives from Scotland Yard's SO15 counter-terror command. Reflecting the seriousness with which police are treating the incident, the head of Counter Terrorism Command issued a rare statement urging any MPs who may be concerned to contact police. The suspect, whose nationality has not been disclosed, was detained in the early hours of Tuesday morning at an address in Sydenham, south east London following a major police operation. The property is around 12 miles away from the scene of three suspected fire bomb attacks in north London, which appear to have been aimed at Sir Keir. It emerged yesterday that the first suspected attack targeted a car previously owned by the Prime Minister, and that the second appeared to be aimed at a flat he owned in the 1990s. Sir Keir's family home, where his sister-in-law now lives, was targeted in the early hours of Monday morning. Police sources said they were keeping an open mind as to any potential motive behind the alleged attacks but have not ruled that it could be linked to a hostile state or to terrorism, which could be far-Left, far-Right or Islamist. Detectives are also exploring whether the person responsible may be a lone actor with a personal grudge against the Prime Minister. Downing Street figures have also not ruled out the possibility that a hostile state may have been involved, but declined to comment on specifics while the investigation remained on-going. The fact that a car Sir Keir once owned and a flat he lived in many years ago were both targeted raised suspicions that a significant degree of planning and forethought had been involved. The distance between the scene of the attack and the arrest also suggests a level of preparation. One source said the indications were that the alleged plot showed a degree of 'sophistication'. Commander Dominic Murphy, who recently issued statements in the wake of the suspected Iranian terror plot against the Israeli embassy and after the sentencing of a Russian spy gang, said: 'We are working at pace and continue to explore various lines of enquiry to establish the cause of the fires, and any potential motivation for these. 'A key line of enquiry is whether the fires are linked, due to the two premises and the vehicle all having previous links to the same high-profile public figure. 'We recognise that this investigation may cause concern to other public figures – particularly MPs. 'The protection of MPs is something we take extremely seriously across the whole of policing and I would encourage any MP who is concerned about their own safety to get in touch with their dedicated local Operation Bridger officer, who can provide further advice and support.' Sir Keir was being kept up to date with developments but was said to be getting on with his job. It emerged on Tuesday that the first arson attack – which occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning – saw a Toyota Rav 4 previously owned by the Prime Minister set alight close to his family home in Tufnell Park, north London. It is believed he sold the car to a neighbour following his election win, but it had been owned by the Starmer family for a number of years prior to the election. In 2020 it was pictured in a number of media reports after Sir Keir – who was leader of the opposition at the time – was involved in a minor collision with a Deliveroo worker. The car sustained a dent and a large scratch along the wing following the collision in Camden Town. Two days later the front door of a flat, which Sir Keir and a former girlfriend bought jointly in 1991 but which they sold in 1997, was allegedly torched. His name appears on a Companies House register linked to the property, thought to relate to the ownership of the freehold. And finally in the early hours of Monday morning, the Starmers' family home in north London, was targeted in a suspected firebomb attack. The Prime Minister and his family moved out of the four-bedroom property and into Downing Street following the General Election. However, it emerged on Tuesday that it has since been rented out by Lady Starmer's sister for a peppercorn rent. While nobody was hurt in the incident, the front door and entrance area were badly damaged, raising concerns about the potential seriousness of the incident. Last year, Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, the head of UK counter terror, warned that the number of investigations involving hostile states, such as Russia and Iran, had quadrupled in recent years. The attack on Sir Keir's family home came on the day that a group of six Bulgarians living in the UK received lengthy jail sentences for being part of a spying operation on behalf of Moscow. Russia has also been linked to a number of arson attacks in Britain, including one on a Ukrainian-owned business in east London in which a warehouse was set alight. Meanwhile, four Iranian men arrested earlier this month on suspicion of a terror plot to attack the Israeli Embassy in London remain in custody for questioning.
