Russia has announced the closure of German cultural centres across the country, a direct response to Berlin's decision to shut down the Russian House in the capital and the Russian consulate in Bonn. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the announcement on Thursday at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, saying that Germany's actions left Moscow with no choice but to retaliate.
Lavrov confirmed that the Goethe-Institut, Germany's cultural institute, would be forced to close its offices in Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. He argued that any other response would show a lack of “self-respect” on Russia's part. “Germany could not have failed to understand that the closure of Russian House would signify the end of their cultural presence in Russia,” he said.
The diplomatic row stems from an incident on 4 August, when a drone laden with explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major freight hub used for supplying Ukraine. The device was later defused. German authorities have accused Moscow of orchestrating the attack, part of what Western officials describe as a broader campaign of sabotage and disruption aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and destabilising European nations.
Berlin's calculated response
German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul defended the decision, saying Berlin had carefully prepared its response “and now Russia must live with these consequences.” He also called on Moscow “to show that it is also ready for reasonable talks and negotiations, particularly regarding the situation in Ukraine.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the allegations, claiming Berlin was trying to distract from its own failings and voter dissatisfaction. He suggested that any evidence presented had been “planted.”
According to SPIEGEL news magazine, Chancellor Friedrich Merz had wanted to impose sanctions on Russia shortly after returning from his summer holiday on 25 August. During his three-week break at Lake Tegernsee, he was reportedly briefed several times a day on the airport incident. At a closed-door meeting at Neuhardenburg Castle, Merz consulted with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Foreign Minister Wadephul and his security policy adviser, Günter Sautter.
The two ministers reportedly advised against immediate punitive measures. Dobrindt argued that publicly accusing Russia could jeopardise the ongoing investigation, while Wadephul wanted to give German diplomats time to secure data and documents before any Russian retaliation.
EU seeks a united front
The incident has also prompted discussions among European Union foreign ministers, who met in Ireland on Wednesday to consider how to respond. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the attack as bearing “all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism” and asked: “The question is: what do we do about this.”
Ministers discussed options including further sanctions, visa restrictions and the closure of Russian consulates. The EU has already imposed nearly two dozen sanction packages on Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, targeting more than 3,000 officials, oligarchs and entities, including banks, energy companies and drone manufacturers. Kallas said the bloc was preparing to add travel bans and asset freezes on another 1,600 individuals.
The escalation comes as European leaders increasingly warn about Russian hybrid attacks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described such sabotage as the new normal, and EU states are trying to coordinate a response. Some members, however, remain cautious: Belgium has resisted EU efforts to seize Russian assets, highlighting the difficulty of finding consensus.
For now, the cultural closures mark a new low in German-Russian relations, with both sides digging in. The Goethe-Institut, which has operated in Russia for decades, will now have to wind down its operations, a symbolic but significant casualty of the ongoing confrontation.
