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Russia shuts German consulate in St. Petersburg in tit-for-tat move after Leipzig drone incident
Moscow cast the closures as retaliation after Germany shut Russian missions over an alleged drone attack, and consulate staff must leave by Sept. 18.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday the closure of the German Consulate General in Petersburg, ordering all staff to leave the Russian Federation by Sept. 18.
This follows Germany's decision last week to close the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian House cultural center in Berlin after blaming Moscow for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport.
Staff at the German Goethe-Institut in Moscow, Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg were required to leave by yesterday, as the Foreign Ministry confirmed closure of these cultural centers across Russia.
President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence to frame Moscow for the Aug drone incident, while the Foreign Ministry stated Berlin "bears full and complete responsibility" for escalation.
Western officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of conducting a campaign of sabotage to undermine support for Ukraine, though Russia has rejected these claims, casting the allegations as an "absurd fabrication.
Russia has ordered the closure of the German consulate in St. Petersburg and the Goethe Institutes in retaliation for Berlin's actions after accusing Moscow of a hybrid attack in Leipzig. Diplomats must leave Russia by September 18, in a further escalation of tensions between the two countries.