Germany said on Wednesday it would shut down four out of five Russian consulates by revoking their licences, a tit-for-tat move after Moscow's decision to limit the number of German officials in Russia to 350.
The move represents a sharp downgrading of bilateral ties amid a wider collapse in relations since Russia's invasion of Ukraine early last year.
Russia denounced the proposed closures as ill-conceived and provocative and said it would respond.
