Russia Orders Closure of German Consulate in St. Petersburg

The ministry said the German diplomatic mission must cease all operations by September 18. ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Russia's Foreign Ministry announced Monday that it is closing Germany's consulate in St. Petersburg, in a move described as a retaliatory response to Berlin's recent decision to shut a Russian consulate in Germany. The ministry said the German diplomatic mission must cease all operations by September 18. The decision follows a growing diplomatic dispute between Moscow and Berlin over an alleged attempted drone attack in Germany. Germany recently ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and also shut down the Russian cultural center known as the Russian House in Berlin. Berlin linked the measures to an incident on August 4, when a drone carrying explosives was reportedly found near a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport. German authorities have accused Russia of involvement, while Moscow has denied any connection to the incident and condemned Germany's actions as 'unfriendly.' In response, Russia said it would close the German consulate in St. Petersburg, along with German cultural institutions, including branches of the Goethe-Institut, which promotes German language and culture abroad. Employees of the Goethe-Institut branches have been ordered to leave Russia by September 13, while staff of the German consulate in St. Petersburg have until September 18 to depart. The latest measures further strain already deteriorating relations between Russia and Germany, which have sharply worsened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.