The State Forests have seized and secured the property – a plot of land from the Skubianka precinct in the Serock municipality, which the Embassy of the Russian Federation leased from the Jablonna Forestry District. The encroachment was the result of the Russian side’s failure to respond to numerous ineffective calls for the property. An inventory of the property has begun in the area of the centre.
“Today, the Forest Guard entered the Skubianka resort on the Zegrze Reservoir, leased from the State Forests by the Russian Embassy. After the outbreak of war, we terminated the contract. The resort is completely devastated. The Russians have destroyed everything, even cables are torn out of the walls,” Michal Gzowski, State Forests’ spokesman, wrote on Twitter.
Straż Leśna wkroczyła dziś na teren ośrodka w Skubiance nad Zegrzem, dzierżawionym od @LPanstwowe przez rosyjską ambasadę. Po wybuchu wojny wypowiedzieliśmy im umowę. Ośrodek jest całkowicie zdewastowany. Rosjanie zniszczyli wszystko, powyrywane są nawet kable ze ścian. pic.twitter.com/HVJ3r3Djor
— Michał Gzowski (@GzowskiMichal) November 2, 2022
Deputy Climate and Environment Minister Edward Siarka said that a new development of the site will be proposed after an inventory and expert assessment.
“On Wednesday, State Forests Guard officers seized and secured a property leased by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Warsaw on the grounds of the Jablonna forest district near Warsaw,” Deputy Minister Siarka said at a conference in front of the Skubianka centre.
He recalled that in mid-April this year, the forest inspectorate terminated the embassy’s contract with immediate effect due to non-payment of rent. He added that despite repeated calls, the Russian embassy had not released the property, which is why, he pointed out, “today we proceeded to take over the property.” He added that an inventory and technical assessment is currently being carried out.
Siarka also said that an inventory and technical assessment of the property is currently being carried out. “I hope that after its completion, new land development will be proposed,” he said.
The State Forests (Lasy Panstwowe, LP) terminated an agreement with the Russian Embassy for the rental of a recreation centre in Skubianka in April this year. The resort, which comprises hotels, villas and summer homes, is located at the Zegrze Reservoir north of Warsaw. Arrears of payments was then given as the official reason behind the termination of the rental deal dating back to 1994.
Due to the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation and non-payment of the lease of the site, the Director General of the State Forests decided to terminate the lease agreement. This took place on April 13, 2022. Since then, the Embassy has been called several times, without success, to hand over the property.