Russia on Monday ordered the closure of Germany’s consulate in St. Petersburg in response to what it said were the “unfriendly actions of the German authorities” who shuttered Moscow’s consulate in Bonn, along with the Russia House cultural center in Berlin.
The German consulate must cease operations and all employees must leave Russia by Sept. 18. Moscow also ordered Goethe German cultural centers in Russia to shut their doors, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said on Telegram.
“It was the German authorities who once again provoked a new round of escalation in bilateral relations,” officials in Moscow said. “All responsibility for the consequences lies entirely with the German government.”
The Russian foreign ministry’s announcement came after German officials blamed Russia for an Aug. 4 attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The explosives-filled drone was found near a Ukrainian plane at the airport, which is a major freight hub for providing support to Ukraine.
Russian embassy officials in Berlin denounced the allegations, calling them “unsubstantiated, absurd and irrational.” Russian President Vladimir Putin said any evidence found at the scene was planted as a pretext to escalate tensions between Moscow and the West.
Berlin has accused Moscow of waging a hybrid war against the West over its support of Ukraine, with Germany serving as a primary target. It is Europe’s largest economy and the continent’s largest supplier of military and financial aid to Kyiv.
Government officials said Russia uses low-intensity operations such as sabotage and cyber warfare to test how far it can push NATO allies without triggering a direct military conflict under Article 5, which states that an attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all members and triggers a mutual defense obligation.
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