Russia to shut Goethe-Institut centres after Germany targets Russian sites

Warsaw,UPDATED: Sep 3, 2026 18:55 IST

Russia will close German cultural centres across the country after Berlin moved to shut Russian facilities in Germany, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. The move follows Germany's decision to close the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin after it blamed Moscow for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

The latest action reflects worsening ties between Russia and European countries that are backing Ukraine in its war with Moscow. Western governments have repeatedly accused Russia of sabotage and disruption aimed at weakening support for Ukraine and destabilising Europe, charges that Russian officials deny.

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

A drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4 and was later defused. The airport is a major international freight hub used to support Ukraine. Germany said it was "not at war" but had become a "daily target" of the Kremlin's hybrid campaign.

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the accusations. He said Berlin was trying to distract from its own failings and dissatisfaction among voters, and added that any proof being offered "has been planted".

The broader tension has grown into a major foreign and defence policy challenge for European Union countries. At the end of last year, the head of Britain's MI6 said Putin was testing the West with tactics that fall "just below the threshold of war" and was determined to "harass NATO members". Europe increasingly says it is facing a hybrid war involving cyberattacks, disinformation and a conventional military threat, while both sides accuse each other of state terrorism.

Britain summoned Russia's top diplomat in London on Thursday to protest what it called Russia's "egregious and reckless attack" on the German airport last month. The UK government said the incident was the "latest in a clear pattern of attempts by Russia" to undermine European security.

In Finland, more than 2,000 people took part on Thursday in what was described as Europe's biggest civil defence exercise since the end of World War II, with one of the planned scenarios involving missile strikes from neighbouring Russia. In Norway, authorities seized a Russian vessel in Svalbard on Wednesday at the request of Ukraine's Naftogaz as part of efforts to enforce a USD 4.22 billion arbitration award. The move also came amid a wider European push to seize vessels linked to Russia's so-called shadow fleet, which officials say violates international sanctions.

European Union ministers on Wednesday discussed how to respond to the attempted drone attack, but found it difficult to identify new non-military measures. The EU has already imposed almost two dozen rounds 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.

Denmark's security services have warned that Russian sabotage against the country's defence industry may be imminent. Emil Grsholm, head of counterintelligence at Denmark's PET security service, told Berlingske newspaper that officials had seen signs of very specific Russian planning for sabotage operations, mainly targeting defence companies, especially those linked to military supplies for Ukraine.

Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the Leipzig/Halle Airport incident was "a very serious act that could have very grave consequences". He said the threats would not stop Italy from helping Kyiv further as Rome considers whether to send SAMP/T air defence batteries, though limited weapons production capacity continues to affect efforts in Western countries to supply more to Ukraine.

Russia's decision to close German cultural centres, Germany's action against Russian facilities, and the security measures and warnings across Europe together underline the deepening strain between Moscow and European countries over the war in Ukraine.

With PTI Inputs

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