Sep. 7, 2026 The German Consulate General in St. Petersburg. GAlexandrova (CC BY-SA 4.0) Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Monday it was shuttering the German consulate in St. Petersburg and German cultural centers across the country. The closures were announced in retaliation for Germany’s decision last week to close the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin after its government blamed Moscow for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month. Moscow gave diplomats and employees at the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg until Sept. 18 to cease operations and leave Russia. Staff at Germany’s Goethe-Institut cultural center branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg were given until this Sunday. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow to inform him about the retaliatory decisions. “It was the German authorities who once again provoked a new spiral of escalation in bilateral relations. Full responsibility for the consequences lies entirely with the German government,” the Russian ministry said in a statement. President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence in order to blame Moscow for the early August incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Berlin’s accusations against Moscow amounted to “an effective declaration of war against us.” Lavrov said last week that Moscow would respond to the closure of its cultural center in Berlin by closing the Goethe-Institut cultural centers across Russia. Russia’s first Goethe-Institut opened in Moscow in 1992, soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Reuters contributed reporting. Read more about: Germany , Foreign Ministry , Diplomacy Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russia Denies It Held Official Peace Talks With Germany in Azerbaijan But Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin did say that backchannel discussions have taken place between individuals from Germany and Russia who are not... 2 Min read Russia Expels German Diplomat in Tit-for-Tat Move The Foreign Ministry said it had issued a note declaring a staff member of the German Embassy in Moscow persona non grata, calling the decision a “symmetrical... 1 Min read North Korea's Top Diplomat to Visit Russia From Sunday North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui will visit Russia for a three-day trip from Sunday to Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. 1 Min read Russia Says Britain Might Be Involved in Skripal Poisoning Russian Foreign Ministry demanded from London to prove British spies did not poison a former double agent, saying in the absence of such proof it would...
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Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft undocks from ISS
• What happened: The Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) after delivering approximately 2.5 metric tons of s...