Russia, on Monday, announced the closure of the German consulate in St. Petersburg amid a drone row.
Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a statement, ordered the German consulate to stop operations and leave the country by September 18.
The ministry, which reaffirmed its earlier decision to shut German Goethe-Institut cultural centres in Moscow and St. Petersburg, insisted that their employees must leave no later than Sunday.
The development came after Germany closed both the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in the German capital, Berlin, last Wednesday.
Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4, after a drone filled with explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane.
Russia, however, denied involvement in the drone attack.
“It was the German authorities who once again provoked a new round of escalation in bilateral relations. All responsibility for the consequences lies entirely with the German government,” Russian Foreign Ministry stated.