Deutsche Welle
· collected 2026-09-13 · by Evgeniy Dyuk, Viktorija Terentjeva
Story summary
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, leading Germany to abandon its decades-long policy of energy partnership with Russia centered around the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The German chancellor at the time, Olaf Scholz, announced a significant shift in foreign and security policy, termed the Zeitenwende. This marked a dramatic end to the spirit of cooperation that had existed between Germany and Russia since World War II.
In August 2023, tensions escalated when a drone loaded with explosives was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany. The German government accused Russia of being behind this attack, prompting Berlin to summon Moscow's ambassador for condemnation. In response, the Russian Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev threatened direct military strikes against Germany.
Several European countries have reported suspicious fires and attacks on defense facilities, with Italy, Estonia, and Poland among those targeted. The British government also summoned a senior Russian diplomat to protest the Leipzig incident, aligning with Germany’s stance that such actions are part of a broader campaign by Russia aimed at undermining support for Ukraine.
NATO has warned it will not tolerate hybrid war tactics against its members. In September 2023, Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, emphasized that the Leipzig attack was particularly concerning due to the risk it posed to critical infrastructure and energy assets. Germany is now planning a national "cyberdome" to detect hacking attempts and has increased police capabilities for drone defense.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to deny any involvement in these incidents and has retaliated by closing some diplomatic offices in Germany, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accusing Germany of moving towards direct military confrontation.
Written for “Russia Hybrid War Europe Responses” on 2026-09-14,
grounded in this article and the 15 other(s) covering the same event.
Germany's Goethe-Institut is set toclose all Russian branches by Sunday, amid one of the worst spats in the history of relations between Russia and Germany.
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Institut → set → Russia
The Russian Foreign Ministry ordered the closure of the German cultural centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk in response to Berlin's reaction to the attempteddrone attackat Leipzig airport in early August.
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Ministry → order → August
The German authorities blamed Moscow for organizing the attack and announced sanctions.
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authorities → blame → sanctions
They include closing the Russian culture and education center in Berlin, known as the Russian House, and the Russian Consulate General in Bonn, as well tightening visa restrictions for Russian citizens.
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They → include → citizens
"All employees must cease their work in Russia as of September 13, 2026," Goethe-Institut Secretary General Gitte Zschoch said in a statement.
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Zschoch → cease → statement
"No more books can be borrowed from our libraries, and no further training can be offered.
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training → borrow → libraries
German language teachers are losing an important source of professional training and support.
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teachers → lose → training
For people in Russia, this further restricts access to the German language, culture and reliable information from and about Germany.
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this → restrict → Germany
DW asked its users in Russia to share how the closure of the Goethe-Institut will affect them personally.
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closure → ask → them
The responses received do not constitute a representative survey.
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responses → receive → survey
All users shared their stories on conditions of anonymity.
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users → share → anonymity
Russian authorities labeled DW an "undesirable organization" making every cooperation with the media company a criminal offense.
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cooperation → label → company
'We'll have to travel to another country' for German exams
Many DW readers fear that, after the closure of the Goethe-Institut branches, they or their relatives will no longer be able to take exams in Russia for internationally recognized German language certificates.
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they → have → certificates
Some readers pointed out that closing the Goethe-Institut in Russia will hit ethnic Germans willing to relocate back to Germany, or late repatriates, especially hard.
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closing → point → Germany
"I no longer live in Russia, having emigrated as a late repatriate, but my parents are still in Russia and were planning to take exams at the Goethe-Institut this fall or winter before submitting their resettlement documents.
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parents → live → documents
It looks like they'll have to take the exams in another country, which means additional stress and expenses for them," one reader said.
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reader → look → them
DW also received responses from parents whose children are learning German and plan to continue their education in Germany.
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children → receive → Germany
"My son attends a German school, and now we won't be able to take the exam in Russia.
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we → attend → Russia
We'll have to travel to another country," one message said.
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message → have → country
It remains unclear whether exams, language courses and educational programs will continue in Russia in another format or through partner organizations.
uncertain
exams → remain → organizations
Several readers expressed hope that at least some services will remain available online.
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services → express → hope
Goethe-Institute closures hit teachers hard
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closures → hit → teachers
The closure of the institute will affect not only those planning to move to Germany or enroll at a German university.
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closure → affect → university
A German language teacher from the Moscow region told DW that her school had cooperated with the Goethe-Institut for more than 15 years.
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school → tell → years
The institute supported us with high-quality teaching materials and provided modern books and publications about life in Germany, helping us make lessons engaging and relevant.
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lessons → support → Germany
Our students attended additional courses, and many successfully passed the Goethe certificate exams," she wrote.
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she → attend → exams
"I teach German and can't find a job in Russia," another teacher told DW.
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teacher → teach → DW
I'm a German teacher, and I feel professionally stranded and lost," a third wrote.
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third → feel → ?
Despite the restrictions imposed since the beginning of Russia's war in Ukraine in 2022, demand for the institute's services remained high.
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demand → impose → services
According to the Goethe-Institut, around 10,000 people studied German through its programs and partnerships in 2025.
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people → accord → 2025
Before 2023, that number used to stand at around 16,000 people.
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number → use → people
The institute administered roughly 22,000 exams, and its libraries were visited by 6,700 people in 2025.
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libraries → administer → 2025
'Culture has become a hostage to political decisions'
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Culture → become → decisions
Many readers perceive what is happening as another stage in the destruction of ties between Russia and Germany.
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what → perceive → Russia
"We would like cultural relations between the Russian Federation and Germany not to be destroyed," one DW user responded.
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user → like → Federation
"It is sad to realize that culture has become a hostage to political decisions.
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culture → realize → decisions
The closure of the Goethe-Institut will affect people who have no way of influencing politicians."
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who → affect → politicians
Some DW readers from Russia specifically draw attention to the responsibility of politicians.
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readers → draw → politicians
One reader called the decision to close the institutes another step toward isolating the country and wondered why its consequences affect ordinary citizens rather than the Russian politicians who make such decisions.
"Why can the people making decisions to isolate Russia from Europe simultaneously provide their own children and close relatives with a European education and a European way of life?" a DW user asked, proposing a ban on the education of the children and close relatives of members of Russia's top leadership at universities in Germany and other EU countries.
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user → call → Germany
Part of the audience considers Moscow's decision expected.
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decision → consider → audience
…and 11 more, not listed.
