FILE – A woman walks past the German Consulate General building in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File) (Dmitri Lovetsky, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
MOSCOW – Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday announced the closure of the German consulate in St. Petersburg, a tit-for-tat move that reflected the simmering tensions between the two countries.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the German consulate must stop operations and its workers must leave Russia by Sept. 18. It reaffirmed the previously announced decision to shut German cultural centers in the country and said their employees must leave no later than Sunday.
The ministry said the moves were retaliation for Germany’s “unfriendly” decision Wednesday to close both the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural center in the German capital, Berlin.
Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4, when an explosives-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian plane.
The airport is a major international freight hub used for providing support to Ukraine. The drone was later defused.
Moscow has denied involvement.
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