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More than 150 employees of Russian missions and members of their families have been ordered to leave Germany as relations between Berlin and Moscow sink to a new low.
The figure was announced by the Russian Embassy in Berlin following Germany’s decision to close Russia’s Consulate General in Bonn and remove Moscow-appointed employees from the Russian House cultural center in Berlin.
The measures stem from an incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4, when German authorities discovered a drone carrying explosives near a Ukrainian aircraft. The device was defused before it detonated.
Germany has blamed Russia for the alleged attack, saying elements of the drone, including its construction, components, and explosives, resembled methods seen in previous Russian hybrid operations.
Moscow denies any involvement and has called the accusation a fabrication.
Leipzig/Halle is a major European cargo hub used to transport support to Ukraine. German officials have said the attempted attack could have caused serious damage and loss of life had it succeeded.
Berlin responded by ordering the Russian consulate in Bonn to close by Sept. 18 and moving to end the operation of the Russian House in the German capital. Employees sent from Russia were also told to leave the country.
The departure order affects Russian mission staff and their relatives, meaning not all of the more than 150 people involved are diplomats.
Russia answered with measures of its own.
On Monday, Moscow ordered Germany’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg to cease operations by Sept. 18. It also ordered the closure of Germany’s Goethe-Institut cultural centers in Russia, with employees instructed to leave the country.
The German Embassy in Moscow has not been ordered to close.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused Berlin of provoking the latest escalation and said the German government would bear responsibility for the consequences.
The dispute is the latest chapter in a relationship that has steadily deteriorated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Western governments have repeatedly accused Moscow of using sabotage, cyberattacks, and espionage to destabilize European countries and weaken their support for Kyiv. Russia denies those accusations.
The explosive drone at Leipzig never went off. The diplomatic chain reaction it triggered is still unfolding.
*With information from Reuters and AP News
