Russia is closing the German consulate in St. Petersburg and Goethe-Institut branches in retaliation for recent German actions against Russian facilities.
Key facts
- •Russia is closing the German consulate in St. Petersburg and Goethe-Institut branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg.
- •The German Consulate General staff must leave Russia by Sept. 18.
- •German cultural center staff were ordered to cease operations by this Sunday.
- •The closures are in response to Germany shutting down the Russian consulate in Bonn and a cultural center in Berlin.
- •The first Goethe-Institut in Russia opened in Moscow in 1992.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced Monday that it is closing the German consulate in St. Petersburg and all German cultural centers within the country. The move serves as retaliation for Germany’s decision last week to shut down the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin.
Timeline for Closures
Moscow has ordered staff at the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg to cease operations and depart Russia by Sept. 18. Employees at the Goethe-Institut cultural centers located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg were given until this coming Sunday to close their branches.
Diplomatic Tensions
The closures follow Germany’s decision to shutter Russian facilities after blaming Moscow for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month. President Vladimir Putin has accused Germany of planting evidence regarding the incident, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Berlin’s accusations as an effective declaration of war. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to Moscow to formally communicate the retaliatory measures.
Timeline
- Early AugustAn incident involving an attempted drone attack occurred at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
- Last weekGermany closed the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin.
- MondayRussia announced the closure of the German consulate in St. Petersburg and German cultural centers.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Moscow Times.
