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The German national flag flutters above the German Consulate General building in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the 7th (local time). / AP, Yonhap

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the closure of the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg on the 7th (local time), Reuters and AP reported.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the German consulate must cease operations immediately, and its diplomatic staff must leave Russia by the 18th.

Reaffirming plans to shut down branches of the Goethe-Institut, Germany's cultural center, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the ministry also notified staff members to depart the country by the 13th.

In a statement, the ministry stated that the move comes in response to the German government's decision on the 2nd to close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin.

The ministry further asserted, "The responsibility for escalating tensions in bilateral relations rests entirely with the German authorities," adding that Germany bears full responsibility for any future fallout.

The diplomatic friction was triggered by a drone incident at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4.

After a drone loaded with explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian aircraft at the airport—which serves as a key logistics hub for aid to Ukraine—German authorities attributed the incident to Russia and moved to shut down the Russian diplomatic missions.

Russia has flatly denied any involvement in the incident, dismissing the allegations as a provocation directed against Moscow.

While Western authorities argue that Russia is conducting sabotage operations to undermine momentum for European support to Ukraine, the Russian government maintains that such accusations are unfounded, prolonging the standoff.

                                                                                                           Lee Jeong-eun