Germany orders closure of Russian consulate in Bonn over alleged airport sabotage

The Russian Consulate General in Bonn has fully suspended all citizen services after the German government mandated the diplomatic mission's complete closure by September 18, 2026.

"Due to the decision of the government of the FRG to close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn by September 18, 2026, appointments for all consular matters have been cancelled," the diplomatic mission announced in a statement published on its official Telegram channel.

The operational shutdown follows a directive from German authorities targeting Russian diplomatic and cultural presences across the country. According to statements released by the Russian Embassy in Germany, the measures mandate the departure of staff members and their families from both the Bonn consular mission and the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin.

"All employees of the Consulate General and the Russian House, as well as their family members, have been instructed to promptly leave the territory of the FRG," the embassy stated, noting that personnel must vacate German territory on an expedited basis.

The diplomatic restrictions coincide with Berlin's decision to terminate a 2011 bilateral intergovernmental agreement governing the operation of cultural and informational centres, directly precipitating the closure of the Russian House in Berlin.

German authorities linked the punitive steps to security concerns stemming from an incident involving an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Citing "growing hybrid attacks by Moscow," German officials announced the implementation of wide-ranging sanctions measures on both a bilateral level and through the European Union.

Russian diplomatic representatives firmly rejected the accusations, asserting that Berlin took action without providing concrete evidence of state involvement. "Without producing any evidence or arguments, German authorities have laid the blame for preparing an allegedly planned act of sabotage on Russia," the Russian Embassy stated, denying any connection to the alleged plot.

Despite the expulsion orders and the termination of cultural ties, the German government characterised the diplomatic sanctions as a "balanced and proportionate" reaction to the security incident, noting that Berlin expects Moscow to refrain from taking retaliatory steps.

By Tamilla Hasanova