Russia Closes German Cultural Centers in Retaliation Over Sabotage Accusations

Amid escalating tensions between Germany and Russia—sparked by Berlin pointing the finger at Moscow for a drone attack at Leipzig-Halle Airport last month—Russia has decided to shut down German cultural centers operating within its borders.

According to the Associated Press on the 3rd (local time), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the closure of the German cultural centers, citing deepening conflicts with Europe.

The targets for closure include the German cultural centers (Goethe-Institut) located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg.

European nations have long suspected that Russia is carrying out sabotage as part of a hybrid strategy to find a way out of the protracted war in Ukraine.

When the explosive drone incident occurred at Leipzig-Halle Airport under these circumstances, Germany immediately named Russia as the mastermind.

Berlin viewed the drone attack not as an isolated incident, but as an extension of Russia's hybrid operations.

In swift response, Germany closed a Russian consulate and terminated the lease for a Russian cultural center in Berlin.

Russia pushed back, claiming that Germany fabricated the incident to overcome its domestic political struggles, but European countries have maintained their suspicions.

Nations including Poland, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania summoned Russian diplomats in their respective countries over the issue, while Norway seized a Russian vessel in the Svalbard archipelago of the Arctic Ocean at the request of a Ukrainian state-owned energy company.

However, suspicious incidents pointing to potential Russian involvement continue to unfold, including a power grid attack apparently aimed at causing a massive blackout that occurred for two consecutive days at the Amprion substation in Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, as well as an arson attack on a defense industry complex in Munich.

The European Union is exploring ways to counter Russian sabotage, but is struggling to find effective responses that do not involve military means, according to the AP.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.