MOSCOW: Russia has announced the closure of the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg in retaliation for Germany’s decision to shut Russian diplomatic facilities, further straining ties between the two countries.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the German Consulate in St. Petersburg must cease all operations by September 18. The ministry also ordered the closure of Goethe Institute cultural centers in Russia, and instructed their staff to leave the country by September 13. The move comes after Germany announced the closure of the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian Cultural Center in Berlin.
Germany took the measures after accusing Russia of involvement in a drone incident at Leipzig Airport. Moscow rejected the allegation, calling it a “fabricated story. “On August 4, a drone carrying explosive material was found at Leipzig Airport in eastern Germany. The drone was reportedly heading toward cargo aircraft near Ukraine. However, it did not explode due to an alleged malfunction in the detonator. Investigators suspect a second drone collided with a nearby cargo plane. Ten days later, a third drone was also reported near the airport.
The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed Germany for the current tensions, saying German authorities had “once again initiated a new round of escalation” and that Berlin bears “full responsibility” for the consequences.
Meanwhile, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the Leipzig Airport incident as part of Russia’s long-running “hybrid operations” in Europe. He warned that Germany could be targeted again.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the electoral success of the pro-Russia AfD party in Saxony-Anhalt would not affect the federal government’s support for Ukraine. He also warned of an “extremely concrete threat” to Germany’s internal security. Merz added that Russia would likely be pleased with the election results in eastern Germany.
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