Germany closed Russian diplomatic missions after detecting drones carrying explosives

The Russian embassy in Berlin described the actions of the German authorities as "unprecedented" and unjustified. However, the announcement on the diplomatic mission's website did not provide details on the departure schedule or the number of people covered by the decision, broken down into diplomats and their family members.

Drones with explosives

In early August, several drones equipped with explosives were found at Leipzig airport. One of them was near a Ukrainian Antonov military transport plane.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt later stated that the perpetrators of this "hybrid operation" acted on behalf of Russian state structures. The authorities in Moscow reject these allegations and claim that Berlin has not provided evidence confirming Russian responsibility.

Closed facilities and Russian retaliation

After the incident, German authorities decided to close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin. Tighter controls on Russians arriving in the country were also announced.

Russia responded by deciding to close the German consulate general in St. Petersburg. The facility's employees are to leave Russia no later than September 18. The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, also announced the termination of the activities of the branch of the Goethe Institute in Russia.

Tension in relations between Berlin and Moscow has been growing for years. At the end of 2023, Germany closed its consulates in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. Currently, the only active German diplomatic mission in Russia is the embassy in Moscow.