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Russia announced on Monday that it is shutting down Germany's Consulate-General in St. Petersburg, a retaliatory move following Berlin's decision to close a Russian consulate and a Russian cultural center on German soil.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the German consulate in St. Petersburg must halt all operations no later than September 18. The ministry also confirmed that Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural centers across Russia must cease activities, with staff required to leave the country by September 13.
The chain of events began after Germany accused Moscow of involvement in an attempted drone incursion at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Berlin responded to the alleged incident by ordering the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin. Russia has rejected the accusation outright, with its Foreign Ministry calling the claim an absurd fabrication.
In its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry placed the blame for the deteriorating relationship squarely on German officials.
"It was the German authorities who, once again, provoked a new round of escalation in bilateral relations," the ministry said, adding that "the German government bears full and complete responsibility for the consequences."
The Goethe-Institut, Germany's principal cultural institution abroad, has long served to promote German language and culture internationally, including through its network of centers in Russia.
Its forced closure, alongside the shuttering of consular posts on both sides, marks a further contraction of the official diplomatic and cultural presence each country maintains in the other, at a time when relations between Moscow and Berlin have already been under significant strain.
Neither government's statements, as reported, indicated further countermeasures beyond the closures already announced.
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