Poland has eyes on ‘occupied’ Kaliningrad, says Russian MP

A RUSSIAN MP has claimed that Poland may be planning to try to take Kaliningrad after a Polish general said that Russian forces were only “occupying” the Baltic Sea port.

The comments by Maria Butina, a former Russian spy, will concern Western military advisers who have warned that Russia may be setting up various “false flag” scenarios to spread its war.

“Nato is afraid of its aggressive independent actions,” she was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying of Poland, a Nato member.

“Remember, there was a campaign with fake maps, on which the Kaliningrad region was depicted as if it were not Russian territory.”

Kaliningrad is a vital strategic port for Russia as it provides a warm-water base for its Baltic Sea fleet. Historically part of Prussia and then Germany, the city was called Konigsberg until captured by Soviet armies towards the end

of the Second World War. Instead of returning it to German control or handing it over to Poland after the war, Moscow turned Kaliningrad into Soviet territory, which was linked by air or boat.

Ms Butina was responding to comments by General Waldemar Skrzypczak, the former head of Polish ground forces, who, in an interview with the newspaper published on Friday, said that Kaliningrad was Polish territory.

“It might be worth asking for this Kaliningrad District, which, in my opinion, is part of the territory of Poland. We have the right to have a grudge against the area that Russia is occupying,” he was quoted as saying.

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s most staunch backers since the start of Russia’s invasion.

It has offered to send its fighter jets and allowed weapons to flow into Ukraine across its territory, much to the irritation of the Kremlin.