In a tit-for-tat move, Russia has announced retaliatory measures against the German Consulate General in Saint Petersburg and Germany’s Goethe-Institut centres in Russia.
As Russia withdrew its consent for the operations of the consulate, Germany must cease its activities no later than September 18, and all consular staff must leave Russia by the same date, said a foreign ministry statement on Monday.
Germany’s Goethe-Institut cultural centres in Russia must also cease their activities, with seconded staff ordered to leave the country no later than September 13, it said.
The move followed Berlin’s closure of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin, the ministry said.
It said the measures were conveyed to Germany’s charge d’affaires in Russia, with the relevant diplomatic notes handed over.
Moscow said the measures were taken in response to “unfriendly actions” by the German side and accused German authorities of provoking a new rupture in bilateral ties.
“The entire responsibility for the consequences lies entirely with the German government,” the ministry said.
Germany has accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport last month and announced extensive diplomatic measures and sanctions against Moscow.
Moscow has rejected Berlin’s accusations and said the measures announced by Germany represented an unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations.
Russia has also accused the Western governments of stoking "anti-Russian paranoia".
The latest diplomatic exchange comes amid a continued deterioration in Russian-German relations, strained by the war in Ukraine and differences over European security and sanctions policy.
Leipzig Airport is a major freight hub and a key logistics node for military cargo, including Ukrainian Antonov flights. Officials have described the foiled drone strike as an attempt to disrupt that support chain without launching a conventional military attack.
