Russia vows retaliation against Germany following closure of Russian House in Berlin

What led to Germany's decision

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced these measures in response to Russia's hybrid attack - the trigger was the incident involving a drone packed with explosives that was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month.

In addition to closing the consulate and the Russian House, the German side also announced the expansion of EU sanctions lists with new individuals.

What Zakharova stated

"Both the Russian House and our General Consulate in Bonn have long been a thorn in the side of the ruling elite. Now they've come up with a pretext. Well then—they will get a worthy response," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

According to her, Berlin has once again moved to escalate bilateral relations under a completely contrived and fabricated pretext, and no convincing evidence of Russia's involvement has been presented.

Zakharova also accused Germany itself of fueling the Ukrainian conflict and participating in terrorist acts against civilians, adding that Moscow will respond to all anti-Russian decisions.

Recall that on the night of August 5, a drone with explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft at Leipzig Airport, causing the airport to temporarily suspend operations.

Later, Die Zeit reported that the FPV drone struck the most vulnerable part of the aircraft's wing - where the fuel tanks are located. This means the attack was targeted, not merely a warning.

Additionally, on August 25, German law enforcement discovered another drone with explosives, which was allegedly also used during the attack on the An-124 at the airport.