"It won’t likely come to a diplomatic breakdown. We may be forced to close our embassy here for a while. Of course, the Poles would have to close theirs in Moscow," he told the Solovyov Live show.
Poland announced this week it was expelling 45 Russian diplomats suspected of spying for Russia, an allegation Andreev dismissed as "nebulous." He said none of the Russian embassy or trade mission staffers had been caught red-handed.
The ambassador estimated that his mission would lose more than two-thirds of its employees and Russia would respond in kind.
"Yes, we were dealt a painful blow and our capabilities have been significantly reduced," he said.