Russia to close German cultural centres in retaliation for Berlin's actions

All German cultural centres across Russia will be shut, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced on Thursday, a day after Berlin closed two Russian cultural centres in Germany.

Berlin's move came after it accused Moscow of involvement an attempted drone attack on a German airport last month and Lavrov said Germany had "deliberately" taken the step, knowing that Russia would respond in kind.

"Cultural centres belonging to Germany's Goethe-Institut will be closed in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg... any other response would show a lack of 'self-respect' on our part," Lavrov told reporters at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

"Germany could not have failed to understand that the closure of Russian House would signify the end of its cultural presence in Russia," he added.

On Wednesday, Germany blamed Moscow for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4 and announced the closure of the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin.

A drone laden with explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport and later defused. The airport is a major international freight hub used to provide support to Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since February 2022.

Western officials have widely accused Russia of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and destabilising European nations. Russian officials deny the allegations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Germany's claims, saying the allegations were intended to distract from the government's own failings and voter dissatisfaction. Any evidence being presented "has been planted", Putin said.