Russia closes Germany's consulate in St. Petersburg
Russia announced the closure of Germany's Consulate General in St. Petersburg, revoking its approval to operate, with operations required to cease by September 18. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Monday, September 7, that this responds to "unfriendly actions" by the German side. Employees of Goethe cultural centers must leave Russia by September 13, and the centers themselves must cease activities. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the closure of these centers on September 3. These actions follow Germany's official accusation on September 1 that Russia was involved in an attempted attack at Leipzig airport, where a drone with explosives was found near a Ukrainian Antonov aircraft on August 5. Germany had previously closed Russia's consulate in Bonn.