Russia to close Goethe-Institut centres as Germany tensions escalate

Moscow to shut Goethe-Institut centres after Germany announces the closure of two Russian institutions.Russia says it will close Germany’s Goethe-Institut cultural centres, Russian state media has reported, after Germany blamed Moscow for a drone incident at the Leipzig/Halle airport last month and said it would shutter a Russian cultural centre in Berlin and a consulate in Bonn.Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that Russia would close the centres in the cities of Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, following Germany’s decision to halt the operation of a Russian cultural centre in Berlin.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Germany accuses Russia of failed drone attack on Leipzig airport in Augustlist 2 of 4Germany says Russia preparing ‘hybrid’ attacks over Ukraine supportlist 3 of 4EU eyes more Russia sanctions after failed drone attack in Germanylist 4 of 4Putin and Zelenskyy issue threats as strikes rock Ukraine, Russiaend of list“They [Germany] deliberately took this step – they could not have failed to understand – which means the end of their cultural presence in Russia,” Lavrov said, according to state news agency TASS.The Goethe-Institut cultural centres had stayed open “despite all the Ukrainian complications in our relations with the West,” he added.The Kremlin said on Thursday that Germany was displaying an inconsistent and absurd position by choosing to shutter the Russian consulate in Bonn.Last month’s incident involving an explosive-laden drone that started the chain of events has heightened fears over a sabotage campaign that the European Union and NATO say is a Russian attempt to destabilise Ukraine’s allies.German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt on Tuesday accused Russia of being behind the “hybrid attack”. The drone at Leipzig-Halle airport was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane on the evening of August 4 and defused.On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence in order to blame Moscow for the drone incident.