Russia to shut Goethe-Institut branches in response to Germany closing Russian House
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Moscow will close all branches of Germany's Goethe-Institut in Russia in response to Berlin's decision to shut down the Russian House of Culture following a drone incident, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sept. 3.
Drones were discovered at Leipzig Airport on Aug. 4, one of which struck a cargo plane. Another reportedly carried explosives that were intended to strike a Ukrainian Airlines Antonov cargo plane stationed.
Media reports, U.S. intelligence, and then the German government on Sept. 1, all identified Russia as responsible for the hybrid attack.
In addition to closing the Russian House of Culture, Berlin plans to shut Russia's consulate in Bonn and push for tougher sanctions on Moscow, stricter entry controls for Russian citizens and increased pressure on Russia's so-called shadow fleet.
"They consciously took this step — they could not have failed to understand — which means the end of their cultural presence in Russia," Lavrov said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
The Goethe-Institut is a German non-governmental organization that promotes the German language and international cultural cooperation. It has three branches in Russia, in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk.
Lavrov said Russia plans to close all three. He dismissed accusations that Russia was behind the drone attack at Leipzig Airport.
Western officials have been raising alarm over increasingly frequent cases of suspected sabotage, arson, and cyberattacks, many of which were linked to Russian intelligence.
Chief EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Sept. 2 that the latest incident in Germany "has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism."
