Updated

The German Consulate General in St. Petersburg has closed, with the German flag, national emblem, and other symbols removed from the building on Furshtatskaya Street on the afternoon of September 17. The closure comes amid escalating diplomatic retaliation between Berlin and Moscow. The move follows a pattern of tit-for-tat diplomatic actions between Germany and Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion, as both countries have scaled back consular and diplomatic presence amid deteriorating relations over the war in Ukraine.