Russia orders German consulate to close in worsening diplomatic spat
Germany is accusing Russia of orchestrating a drone attack on one of its busiest airports last month.
Russia has announced plans to close the German consulate in St. Petersburg, citing Berlin's recent decision to shutter one of its consulates in retaliation over a drone incident. The dispute escalated after Germany accused Russia of attempting a drone attack at Leipzig Airport in early August. In response, Berlin closed the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin, demanding the closure of Russia's diplomatic mission in St. Petersburg by September 18 and the departure of all its staff by then.
The Russian government confirmed that all branches of Germany's Goethe-Institut in the country must close by September 13. The Leipzig incident marks the first time Germany has publicly accused Russia of a hybrid attack on its territory, raising concerns among Western nations regarding Moscow-backed activities in Europe. Drones were found at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4, with one colliding with a cargo plane and another reportedly carrying explosives planned for a Ukrainian Airlines Antonov cargo plane.
Berlin has called for more stringent sanctions against Russia and is expected to supply Ukraine with additional air defenses and intelligence assistance. Meanwhile, Germany's far-right, pro-Russia Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured a significant victory in a regional election but failed to achieve a majority.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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