Russia Orders Closure of German Consulate in St Petersburg

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ordered the German consulate in St Petersburg to cease operations by September 18, in a move that appears to retaliate against Germany's recent diplomatic actions.

The decision follows Berlin's closure of two Russian diplomatic facilities in Germany last week, after German authorities accused Moscow of involvement in an attempted drone attack on Leipzig Airport.

In a statement issued via Telegram on Monday, Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Germany of triggering a fresh escalation in relations between the two countries and said Berlin would bear full responsibility for the resulting consequences.

All diplomatic staff at the St Petersburg consulate have been instructed to leave Russia by the September 18 deadline.

On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticised Germany over the drone attack allegations, describing the accusations as marking the start of what he characterised as an actual war between the two nations.

The closure represents a further deterioration in relations between Moscow and Berlin, which have been strained since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.