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🇦🇹 Austria /Conflict & Security

Russia Also Closes German Consulate in St. Petersburg

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Official statement Ongoing story
  • Russia ordered the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg to stop operating by Sept. 18 and told Goethe-Institut staff to leave the country by Sept. 13.
  • Moscow said the measures retaliated against Germany’s closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin.
  • Germany linked its actions to an alleged Russian drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport, while Russia rejected the allegation as fabricated.

Russia is closing Germany’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg, extending a diplomatic retaliation linked to the alleged drone attack in Leipzig.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the German mission must end its work by Sept. 18. It also ordered German Goethe-Institutes to stop their activities in Russia and instructed their employees to leave by Sept. 13.

Moscow said the steps responded to the German government’s decision to close the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin. “It was the German authorities who once again provoked a new round of escalation in bilateral relations,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said, placing full responsibility for the consequences on Berlin.

Germany justified its measures by citing an alleged Russian drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. Russia rejected the accusation as an absurd fabrication. The Russian government had already announced the previous week that it would close Goethe-Institutes in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, a decision Germany regretted.

It was the German authorities who once again provoked a new round of escalation in bilateral relations.

· Russian Foreign MinistryThe ministry described the closure of Germany’s consulate and Goethe-Institute activities as retaliation for German measures.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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