German Consulate in St. Petersburg Shuts Down as Flags Come Down

Flags were taken down from the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg on Thursday, as the mission prepared to halt operations under a closure ordered by Moscow.

Russia's Foreign Ministry announced the shutdown last week, saying the consulate must cease work and its staff must leave the country by September 18. The ministry also reaffirmed an earlier decision to close the German Goethe-Institut cultural centres in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Officials in Moscow described the measures as a response to what they called Germany's "unfriendly" move to shut the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin.

The closures are the latest step in a cycle of reciprocal measures between the two countries. Germany has blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4, when an explosives-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian aircraft. The device was later defused.

The airport is a major international freight hub used to support Ukraine. Moscow has denied involvement in the drone incident and described it as a provocation.

On Thursday, workers in St. Petersburg were seen removing the flag from the consulate balcony, installing a ladder and taking down a nameplate bearing the German coat of arms. A small group of people stood outside the building as the work went on.