Russian Embassy in Germany labels consulate closures a 'mirror response' to Berlin's actions

BERLIN, September 10. /TASS/. The decision to close the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg and Goethe-Institut branches in Russia came as a tit-for-tat response to Berlin’s unfriendly steps to undermine Russian-German-Russian relations, the Russian Embassy in Germany said in a statement.

"Laments by certain German officials, politicians, public figures and the media about the upcoming closure of the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg and Goethe-Institut branches in Russia are met with surprise. Being fully aware that Russia’s actions are nothing but a mirror response to Berlin’s unprecedented, unprovoked measures aimed at dismantling Russian-German relations, they still continue to describe the situation as 'glaring injustice,'" the embassy said.

The embassy recalled that "the closures of Russia’s Consulate General in Bonn, the country’s largest consular mission abroad, and of the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin, the world’s largest Russian House, were triggered by allegations of Russian involvement in the incident involving a malfunctioning drone that was discovered at Leipzig on the night of August 5, 2026."

"There has been no evidence and no arguments, only the familiar ‘highly likely’ rhetoric and an unprecedentedly disproportionate reaction, which other EU countries obediently joined at Berlin’s signal," the statement reads.

At the same time, Russian diplomats called it notable that "the German side describes its actions as a 'measured and proportionate' response to Russia’s 'hybrid threats.'"

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that, in response to Germany's unfriendly actions, Russia would close the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg and Goethe cultural centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk.

In accordance with the decision, Russia is revoking its consent to the operation of the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg, so it must cease operations no later than September 18, and all its employees must leave Russia. Furthermore, Russia is closing the German Goethe Cultural Center, and its employees have been ordered to leave the country by September 13.

On September 1, the German government officially placed responsibility for the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in early August on Russia and announced the cessation of the Russian House, the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn, and other measures. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Germany's new anti-Russian decisions, taken under the pretext of the drone incident at Leipzig Airport, are yet another grave mistake by the German authorities, contrary to the interests of their people. In his opinion, these decisions are linked to the domestic political situation in that country and, in particular, the difficult situation of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.