Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that it is closing Germany’s consulate in St. Petersburg.
The German consulate in St. Petersburg must cease operations by September 18 at the latest, according to the ministry.
“It was the German authorities who, once again, provoked a new round of escalation in bilateral relations,” the Foreign Ministry said, adding Berlin “bears full and complete responsibility” for the consequences.
Germany, Russia trade barbs over Leipzig drone attack
The move is a direct response to Germany’s decision to close the Russian consulate in Bonn and Russia’s cultural centre in Berlin, a decision Russia described as “unfriendly.”
Germany recently announced those measures after it said Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport.
The EU, too, said the incident had all the signs of “state sponsored terrorism.”
The Leipzig airport is an important international freight hub, also used for providing support to Ukraine.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected Germany’s allegations, calling them “the beginning of a real war.”