Russia to close German consulate general in St. Petersburg

Russia's Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that it is suspending the operations of the German consulate general in St. Petersburg and closing Goethe cultural centers across the country. The ministry described the decision as a response to Germany's earlier move to close the Russian consulate general in Bonn and shut down the so-called "Russian House" in Berlin.

According to the ministry's statement, the consulate general in St. Petersburg must cease operations by September 18, with all its staff required to leave Russian territory by that date. Goethe Institute cultural centers and their employees face a shorter deadline, having to end their activities by September 13.

Background of the dispute

The tension originated from an incident in Germany, where a drone loaded with explosives was found at Leipzig airport. In response to this incident, Germany decided to shut down the "Russian House" in Berlin and close the Russian consulate general in Bonn.

Following Germany's decision, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Russia would respond by closing Germany's Goethe Institute cultural centers in the country. At the time, he did not mention that the consulate would also be closed — that step was only announced later, on Monday.

With this latest announcement, diplomatic and cultural institutions of both countries are being shut down in a largely symmetrical fashion, signaling a further deterioration in relations between Russia and Germany.