Russia, Germany Trade Closures in Drone Row

Despite growing tensions, Moscow has no plans to downgrade diplomatic relations with Germany, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Thursday following Berlin's decision to close the Russian consulate general in Bonn.

Germany announced the measures after blaming Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. Berlin also plans to close the Russian House cultural center. Moscow denies responsibility and maintains that Germany has presented no evidence of Russian involvement.

Russia has responded by announcing the closure of Germany's Goethe-Institut branches in Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. Peskov described Berlin's measures against Moscow as absurd and accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of being motivated by domestic political considerations.

The Kremlin spokesman contrasted Berlin's response with its handling of the investigation into the 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Pointing to Ukrainian suspects in the case, he argued that Germany had failed to take comparable measures against Ukrainian institutions.

“So far, everyone who has blown something up in Germany in recent years has been a Ukrainian caught by the Germans themselves”, Peskov said. “Have they closed at least one Ukrainian consulate general in connection with ongoing legal proceedings? No, they haven’t. Have they closed any Ukrainian cultural centers? No”, he added.

(dpa, tasr, sab)