Drones attack Russian oil refineries; Germany closes Russian consulates in retaliatory move
Drone attacks on Russian soil continued into their second day, with reported strikes on two oil refineries roughly 50 miles from Russia’s highly important Black Sea oil export terminals, local authorities said.
The strikes come just a day after drone attacks in Moscow that damaged buildings and prompted the Kremlin to say it reserves the right to take “severe measures” in response.
Meanwhile, several people have been killed in shelling in the central and eastern Ukrainian regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Russian-occupied Luhansk, according to local officials.
Germany closing Russian consulates in tit-for-tat move
Germany will close four out of its five Russian consulates, the German government said Wednesday, in response to a move from Moscow to limit the number of German diplomats in the country.
Russia will still be allowed to operate its embassy in Berlin and one general consulate, according to Reuters. Germany, meanwhile, will only be allowed to have 350 officials in Russia.
The move comes amid deteriorating ties between the two countries amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Germany’s foreign ministry specifically cited Russia’s new limits on staff when it announced the consulate decision.
“This unjustified decision is forcing the federal government to make very significant cuts in all areas of its presence in Russia,” a spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
— Michele Luhn