Ukraine urges governments worldwide to shut down "Russian House" cultural centers
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced on September 19 that Ukraine has officially appealed to governments worldwide to recognize the network of so-called "Russian House" cultural centers as a national security threat and to restrict or fully close their activities. Sybiha described the centers, along with Rossotrudnichestvo, as tools of disinformation, destabilization and espionage, and welcomed Germany's recent closure of a "Russian House" in Berlin.
Key points
- On 19 September, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced Ukraine's global appeal via X.
- Ukraine calls on governments to treat the "Russian House" network as a national security threat and to restrict or shut it down.
- Sybiha said "Russian House" centers, alongside Rossotrudnichestvo, serve as instruments of disinformation, destabilization and espionage.
- According to Sybiha, "Russian House" disinformation centers continue to operate in at least seven European countries.
- Sybiha said the network's activities are even more extensive in Africa, Central and East Asia, the Asia-Pacific region and South America.
- Germany closed the "Russian House" in Berlin on 18 September as part of measures following a hybrid attack accusation tied to Leipzig airport.
- On 1 September, Germany directly accused Russia of a hybrid attack at Leipzig airport and announced closure of the Russian consulate general in Bonn and the "Russian House" in Berlin by 18 September.
Why it matters
The appeal formalizes Kyiv's push to expand the campaign against Russian-linked cultural centers beyond Europe, framing them as instruments of Russia's global information warfare. It comes as Germany has already acted to shut one such center in Berlin, giving the Ukrainian request concrete recent precedent and raising the diplomatic stakes for other host countries.
What happened
On 19 September, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced via X that Ukraine had officially appealed to governments around the world where the "Russian House" (Russky Dom) cultural center network operates. The appeal asks those governments to recognize the threat the centers pose to national security and to take measures to restrict their activities or close them entirely.
Sybiha described the centers, along with Rossotrudnichestvo, as tools of disinformation, destabilization and espionage used by Russia in a global struggle for people's minds. He said "Russian House" disinformation centers continue to operate in at least seven European countries and that the network's activities are even more extensive in Africa, Central and East Asia, the Asia-Pacific region and South America. In some states, he added, the centers are integrated into Russia's diplomatic infrastructure.
Sybiha welcomed measures taken by European authorities to block the network, singling out Germany, where the "Russian House" in Berlin was closed on 18 September.
Background
Germany's closure of the "Russian House" in Berlin was part of a package of measures announced on 1 September after Berlin accused Russia of a hybrid attack at Leipzig airport earlier in August. Investigators found a drone with explosives near a Ukrainian military transport aircraft at Leipzig airport on 4 August, and later a second drone and about 50 grams of explosive material. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the "Russian House" had long ceased to serve the purpose of cultural ties between Russia and Germany. The package also included closing the Russian consulate general in Bonn. Many European capitals summoned the Russian ambassador, and Russia retaliated by ordering the closure of the German consulate general in St. Petersburg by 18 September and announcing closure of all three branches of the German Goethe-Institut in Russia.