Russia to close German cultural centres after Berlin's move over airport attack 'plot'

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced Moscow's retaliatory move (File photo) All German cultural centres across Russia will be shut, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced on Thursday, a day after Berlin alleged that Moscow was involved in an attempted drone attack on a German airport last month and closed two Russian cultural centres in Germany.Lavrov said Germany had "deliberately" taken the step, knowing that Russia would respond in kind."Cultural centres belonging to Germany's Goethe-Institut will be closed in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg... any other response would show a lack of 'self-respect' on our part," Lavrov told reporters at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok."Germany could not have failed to understand that the closure of Russian House would signify the end of its cultural presence in Russia," he added.On Wednesday, Germany blamed Moscow for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4 and announced the closure of the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin.A drone laden with explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport and later defused. The airport is a major intern...