Russia shutters German Goethe-Institut branches over Leipzig sabotage row
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that German Goethe centers will be closed across Russia (Photo: Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS)
Russia will close German Goethe-Institut cultural centers in retaliation for Berlin's allegations regarding the Leipzig airport drone sabotage, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Sept. 3.
Lavrov specifically noted that the closures target Goethe-Institut branches operating in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg.
According to him, Moscow interpreted Germany's decision to close the Russian House cultural center as a "de facto termination of German cultural presence in the country."
He asserted that Russia "could not leave this decision unanswered," claiming that failing to respond would demonstrate a "lack of self-respect."
On Sept. 1, Germany’s federal government formally accused Russia of an attempted terrorist attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
On Sept. 2, Deutsche Welle reported that following the Leipzig incident, Germany shut down the Russian Consulate General in Bonn. This was Russia's last operating consulate in Germany, leaving Russian nationals able to receive consular services solely through the Russian Embassy in Berlin.
Leipzig airport drone incident
Overnight into Aug. 5, an uncrewed aerial vehicle rigged with a detonator and high explosives was discovered on a runway at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, which has served as an operating base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines since 2022. The drone was located immediately adjacent to a Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan heavy cargo transport plane.
On Aug. 6, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the operation was not the work of amateurs, indicating foreign state involvement. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that no casualties occurred and that Antonov aircraft sustained no damage.
While media reports claimed the An-124 was carrying munitions, Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior refuted that claim.
U.S. officials familiar with intelligence regarding the incident told The Wall Street Journal that the explosives-laden drone likely belonged to the Russian government.
On Aug. 25, a joint investigative report by German broadcasters NDR and WDR alongside Süddeutsche Zeitung revealed that three drones were deployed in the attempted sabotage against the Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft in Leipzig, indicating the operation was intended to be far more extensive than initially reported.
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