Russia to close German cultural centers in retaliation for Berlin's closures

Russia announced on Thursday it will close German cultural centers across the country, escalating a diplomatic standoff after Germany blamed Moscow for a foiled drone attack at a major airport and ordered the shuttering of Russian diplomatic and cultural facilities. The move marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two nations, which have been strained by the war in Ukraine and a series of alleged sabotage incidents across Europe. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Goethe-Institut cultural centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg would be closed. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Lavrov stated that any other response would show a lack of self-respect on Russia's part. He added that Germany "could not have failed to understand" that its closure of the Russian House cultural center in Berlin would "signify the end of their cultural presence in Russia." The Russian retaliation came after Germany announced its own measures in response to an incident on August 4, when a drone laden with explosives was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle Airport.