By TheDailyNewsHub
Russia has ordered Germany to shut down its Consulate General in Saint Petersburg, marking a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between Moscow and Berlin amid an ongoing dispute over an alleged drone sabotage operation in Germany.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that the German consulate must cease operations no later than September 18, with all diplomatic staff required to leave the country by that date. Moscow said the decision was a direct response to Germany’s recent move to close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin.
A Tit-for-Tat Diplomatic Response
Russia accused Berlin of provoking a new round of deterioration in bilateral relations, insisting that Germany bears full responsibility for the consequences of the latest diplomatic confrontation. The ministry also confirmed that Germany’s Goethe-Institut cultural centres in Russia would be shut down, with foreign staff ordered to leave the country within days.
The retaliation follows Germany’s decision last week to expel Russian diplomatic and cultural institutions after investigators blamed Moscow for an attempted drone attack near Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. German authorities alleged that an explosives-laden drone was discovered near a Ukrainian aircraft at the airport, an accusation Russia has repeatedly dismissed as baseless.
Relations Continue to Deteriorate
The closure represents another significant reduction in diplomatic representation between Europe’s largest economy and Russia. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both countries have steadily reduced embassy staffing, closed consulates and expelled diplomats in a series of reciprocal measures.
Analysts say the latest move is likely to further complicate consular services for citizens of both countries while reinforcing the broader political freeze between Berlin and Moscow.
With the Saint Petersburg consulate set to close and Germany’s cultural institutions ordered out of Russia, the diplomatic relationship between the two nations has reached one of its lowest points in decades.