Russia shuts Goethe centres after Germany closes Russian House

Moscow,UPDATED: Sep 3, 2026 12:18 IST

Russia said on Thursday that it will close German cultural centres across the country after Berlin blamed Moscow for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport and announced the closure of the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin.

The move came as European Union ministers discussed how to respond to the attempted drone attack, weighing options such as sanctions, visa restrictions and shutting Russian consulates, while stopping short of military measures.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said cultural centres run by Germany's Goethe-Institut would be shut in Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. He said any other response would show a lack of "self-respect" on Russia's part. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Lavrov said Germany "could not have failed to understand" that the closure of Russian House would "signify the end of their cultural presence in Russia."

Berlin's action followed an incident on August 4, when a drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport and was later defused. The airport is a major international freight hub used to support Ukraine. Western officials have widely accused Moscow of carrying out a campaign of sabotage and disruption aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and destabilising European countries.

At a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland on Wednesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, "It is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism. The question is: what do we do about this." She said ministers discussed sanctions, visa restrictions and the closure of Russian consulates, among other measures. The EU has already imposed almost two dozen packages of sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, targeting more than 3,000 officials, oligarchs and entities, including banks, energy companies and drone makers. Kallas said the bloc was already preparing more travel bans and asset freezes on another 1,600 people.

Germany said it was "not at war" but had become a "daily target" of the Kremlin's hybrid campaign. German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul said Berlin had carefully prepared its response "and now Russia must live with these consequences." He also called on Russia "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, saying Berlin wanted to distract from its own failings and dissatisfaction among voters. Any proof being offered "has been planted," he said.

The latest exchange has deepened tensions between Russia and Germany, with Moscow moving to shut German cultural centres after Berlin closed Russian facilities, while the EU considers further steps after the attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

With PTI Inputs

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