Russia to Close Romanian Consulate in St. Petersburg

Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned Romanian Ambassador Cristian Istrate on Thursday and handed him a note informing that the Romanian consul general in St. Petersburg has been declared persona non grata and that the consulate will be closed. The ministry stated that this measure is a response to Bucharest's "unjustified" withdrawal of consent for the operation of Russia's General Consulate in Constanta and the declaration of its head as persona non grata.

Romania took those steps last month following an incident on the night of May 29, when a Russian attack drone crashed into the roof of a residential building in Galati. The drone exploded, causing a fire in the corridor of a top-floor apartment and injuring two residents. Investigators determined the drone carried at least 30 kilograms of explosives. This was the most serious incident involving Russian drones entering Romanian airspace to date.