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Germany decided to close the Russian consulate in Bonn after
the Leipzig
Airport drone incident, but the rationale behind the move may have a
broader counterintelligence scope, Bild reported
on Sept. 3, citing sources.
According to the newspaper, the consulate in Bonn may have served as an important coordination center for Russian intelligence operations in Western Europe. Bild’s sources said hybrid operations targeting the Benelux countries, as well as EU institutions and NATO headquarters in Brussels, were likely coordinated from the Bonn consulate.
Under the closure order, about 60 Russian diplomats, including Consul General Oleg Krasnitsky, must leave Germany by Sept. 18. Bild’s sources estimate that about one-third of them work for one of Russia’s three intelligence services: the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Foreign Intelligence Service, or the Main Directorate of the General Staff, commonly known as the GRU.
Bild also noted that there is no evidence that the drone incident at Leipzig Airport was directly coordinated from the Bonn consulate.
On Sept. 1, the German government officially accused Russia of attempting to carry out a terrorist attack at Leipzig Airport, where Moscow’s agents allegedly targeted a Ukrainian cargo plane with several explosive-laden drones.
On Sept. 2, Deutsche Welle reported that Germany had
closed Russia’s consulate general in Bonn following the incident in Leipzig. It
was the last such Russian diplomatic mission in Germany. Russian citizens can
now receive consular services only at the Russian Embassy in Berlin.
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