Russia closes Romania's Consulate General in Saint Petersburg

Russia has decided to declare Romania's Consul General persona non grata and close the country's Consulate General in Saint Petersburg.

Source: Russian Foreign Ministry statement, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Cristian Istrate, Romania's Ambassador to Russia, on 25 June.

He was handed "a note from the ministry declaring the consul general of Romania in Saint Petersburg persona non grata and announcing the forthcoming closure of the consular mission located there".

"This measure is a response to Bucharest's unsubstantiated withdrawal of consent for the activities of Russia's Consulate General in Constanța and the declaration of its head as persona non grata," the Russian Foreign Ministry statement reads.

Background:

• Bucharest proceeded to close the consulate general and declared the Russian consul general persona non grata last month.
• This followed an incident on the night of 28-29 May, when a Russian attack drone crashed into the roof of a residential block of flats in Galați and exploded, breaking through the roof and starting a fire in the corridor of the top-floor flat. Two residents were injured. Investigators concluded that the drone was carrying at least 30 kilograms of explosives.
• This remains the most serious incident to date involving Russian attack drones entering Romanian territory.

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