Daniel Wolfram
After Germany accused Russia of terrorist sabotage at one of their airports, Russia is now retaliating by closing a German consulate.
Last week, the German government officially blamed Russia for a drone attack attempt at Leipzig Airport.
Yesterday, Russia announced that it would kick German diplomats out of the country.
A diplomatic retaliation is now underway that further strains the already broken relationship between Germany and Russia.
Russia strikes back
Russian Foreign Ministry officials strongly condemned what they called “unfriendly actions” by the German government. They immediately ordered Germany to close its consulate in St. Petersburg.
German consular staff in St. Petersburg have been given until September 18 before they have to leave. The expulsions signal a dramatic breakdown in direct communication between the two nations.
The closing of the German consulate in St. Petersburg is a continuation of diplomatic aggression after Germany shut down a Russian consulate in Bonn.
A ramp-up in Russian attacks
This diplomatic crisis stems from security personnel at Leipzig Airport spotting unmanned drones flying close to the runways and planes. One drone crashed directly into a cargo plane. A second drone was alleged to have explosives mounted on it and was targeting a Ukrainian freight plane.
That was the first time the German government officially accused Russia of being behind a hybrid attack directly on German soil.
However, it is not the first time that Germany has had sabotage cases in one of its cities. Just this year, there were 165 suspected sabotage cases according to United24 Media. There have also been 747 recorded instances of suspicious drone activity in German airspace this year.
