MOSCOW, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Around 70 employees of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and their families are to leave Germany following the closure of the diplomatic mission, Russian Consul General in Bonn Oleg Krasnitsky said.
"At the moment, about 70 employees have been ordered to leave before the 18th this month, plus family members," Krasnitsky told RIA Novosti on Friday, adding that the consulate is currently working on a departure plan for the staff.
Krasnitsky said Germany's decision to close the Russian consulate was baseless and regrettable. The recent stagnation in Russian-German relations is "entirely Germany's fault," and Berlin's decision reflects its intention to escalate tensions between the two countries, he said.
Earlier this week, the German Foreign Ministry announced a decision to close the Russian Cultural Center, known as the Russian House, and the Russian Consulate General in Bonn following an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport last month.
Germany blamed Russia for the drone incursion but Moscow denied any involvement. ■