Moscow Expels Romanian Consul and Closes Mission in St. Petersburg After Bucharest’s Decision

In response to Bucharest’s decision to close the Russian consulate in Constanta, Russia has announced the expulsion of Romania’s consul general and the closure of the Romanian consulate in St. Petersburg.

The decision was confirmed by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, which presented the move as a reaction to the steps taken by the Romanian authorities. Along the same lines, Romania’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow’s measure was expected, following the expulsion of the Russian consul in Constanta.

Diplomatic tensions between the two countries escalated after an incident in May, when a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in Galati, a city in eastern Romania, during an air strike carried out against neighboring Ukraine.

According to the Romanian authorities, the case constituted an important precedent because it was the first time during Russia’s war in Ukraine that a densely populated area on the territory of a NATO member state had been hit, while the incident also left people injured.

The closure of the consulates and the expulsion of diplomats are expected to further strain diplomatic relations between Moscow and Bucharest, at a time when Russia’s relations with NATO member states continue to be tense because of the war in Ukraine.