(Bloomberg) — Russia will shutter the German consulate in St. Petersburg, deepening a diplomatic dispute that began with Germany accusing Moscow of responsibility for a failed drone attack.

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“The Russian side is withdrawing its consent for the operation of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in St. Petersburg,” the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said Monday in a statement on Telegram. “It must cease its activities no later than Sept. 18, 2026, and all of its staff must leave the territory of the Russian Federation by that date.”

The move threatens to further strain relations between the two countries and comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Germany of “essentially moving to declare war on us.” Russia’s relations with many European countries were already at a low point following President Vladimir Putin’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Germany blamed Russia for being behind a drone carrying an explosive device that was discovered at Leipzig airport last month. Russia denied the claim, with Putin instead accusing Germany of planting evidence.

The German government ordered the closure of the Russian consulate general in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin. The country will also tighten border controls for Russian nationals. In retaliation, the Kremlin said it will close branches of Germany’s Goethe Institut.

European Union officials have warned that Russia’s escalating hybrid attacks represent one of the bloc’s most significant strategic threats.

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