Hundreds of German civil servants working in the education and cultural sectors will need to leave Russia following a request by Russia, a German government source told AFP Saturday.
It follows a decision by the Russian authorities to force Germany to slash its diplomatic staff and presence at public institutions such as the Goethe Institute cultural organization and the German school in Moscow by the beginning of June, the source said.
A close economic partner with Russia before Moscow invaded Ukraine, Germany has since moved away from Moscow, financially and militarily supporting Kyiv in the conflict.
Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian espionage in Germany has grown at a rate rarely equaled in recent years, according to German security services.
In mid-April, Germany expelled several Russian diplomats “to reduce the presence of intelligence services” which prompted a tit-for-tat response from Moscow that booted out some 20 German embassy staff.
In spring 2022, Germany already expelled some 40 Russian diplomats who Berlin believed to represent a threat to its security.
Last October, the head of German’s cybersecurity agency, Arne Schoenbohm, was fired after news reports revealed his proximity to a cybersecurity consultancy believed to have contacts with Russian intelligence services.
A month later, a German reserve officer was handed a suspended prison sentence of a year and nine months for spying for Russia.
