Hundreds of German civil servants in the education and cultural fields will have to leave Russia after they were expelled following a request from Moscow, a government source from Berlin told AFP news agency on Saturday. 

According to the source, it comes after Russia decided to compel Germany to reduce its diplomatic personnel and presence at public institutions like the Goethe Institute cultural organisation and the German school in Moscow by the beginning of June. 

Earlier a report in the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung described it as a "diplomatic declaration of war by Moscow" in Berlin. The source confirmed the same to AFP. "This is a unilateral, unjustified and incomprehensible decision," the German foreign ministry said in a statement. 

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and continued with the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, significantly impacted Germany-Russia ties. Germany, which was a key economic partner of Russia before Moscow invaded Ukraine, has recently cut ties with Moscow and is aiding Kyiv financially and militarily in the crisis. 

Germany, along with the European Union (EU) and other Western countries, imposed economic sanctions on Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine. These sanctions targeted individuals, entities, and sectors of the Russian economy. 

According to German security agencies, Russian espionage in Germany has increased at a rate that hasn't been seen in previous years since the start of the crisis in Ukraine. To "reduce the presence of intelligence services," Germany removed a number of Russian diplomats in the middle of April. In retaliation, Moscow expelled some 20 members of the German diplomatic staff. 

The number of German diplomats and public organisation representatives permitted to remain in Russia was limited by the Russian foreign ministry in April, according to the German foreign ministry. "This limit set by Russia from the beginning of June implies major cuts in all areas of (Germany's) presence in Russia," the source told AFP.  

The ministry did not provide a figure for the affected population, but a government source claimed that the daily report from Sueddeutsche Zeitung that several hundred individuals were impacted was "correct." According to the newspaper, German officials have been attempting unsuccessfully in recent weeks to persuade the Russian government to change its mind. 

German government employees, including those in the diplomatic, consular, and notably the fields of culture and education, will thus need to pack their bags soon. Germany removed some 40 Russian diplomats in the spring of 2022 because Berlin saw them as a security danger. 

Germany has contributed troops and resources to NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence initiative to enhance deterrence and defense measures in the region. Arne Schoenbohm, the chief of Germany's cybersecurity agency, was let go in October after press reports exposed his close ties to a firm that was allegedly in touch with Russian intelligence agents. 

A month later, a German reserve officer was handed a suspended prison sentence of a year and nine months for spying for Russia. German officials have strongly criticized Russia and expressed support for Ukraine's territorial integrity. It condemned the violation of international law and the use of force by Russia. 

Image Source: Al Arabiya