Ukraine Urges World Governments to Shut Down ‘Russian Houses’

Ukraine has appealed to governments worldwide to shut down Russian state cultural centers known as “Russian Houses” (Russkiy Dom), warning that the international network operates as an instrument for state-sponsored disinformation, political destabilization, and espionage, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

Writing on X, Sybiha emphasized that the cognitive domain of contemporary warfare represents a critical battleground, cautioning that Moscow continues to deploy multifaceted cultural and educational channels to advance its strategic interests abroad.

“The cognitive domain of modern warfare must not be underestimated,” Sybiha stated. “Russia is waging a global battle for the minds of people through a comprehensive network of tools and channels, including Rossotrudnichestvo and so-called Russkiy Dom (‘Russian House’) cultural centers. They in fact serve as tools for disinformation, destabilisation, and espionage.”

Sybiha commended European governments that have moved to dismantle the network, highlighting Germany’s decision on Friday to formally terminate operating agreements for the flagship Russian House in central Berlin following years of hybrid influence concerns.

“Our shared European home is not the place for ‘Russian houses’ promoting war propaganda and actively working to shatter peace in Europe,” Sybiha said.

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Despite recent closures in several Western capitals, Sybiha noted that Russian cultural centers continue to operate in at least seven European nations, while maintaining an even broader presence across Africa, Central and Eastern Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, and South America.

In multiple jurisdictions, the centers remain formally integrated into Russian diplomatic infrastructure, granting staff diplomatic protections.

The foreign minister confirmed that Kyiv has transmitted formal diplomatic representations to foreign ministries worldwide, providing documentation detailing the national security threats posed by the facilities and presenting legal arguments for restricting their operations or shutting them down permanently.

The Berlin closure and intelligence footprint

Sybiha’s diplomatic appeal coincides with Germany’s move to shut down the Russian House on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin, traditionally the largest facility in the global network.

The German federal government ordered the facility closed after attributing an attempted drone sabotage plot at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4 to Russian military intelligence (GRU).

In that incident, an explosive drone intended to target a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft failed to detonate due to a snapped wire, leaving 1.8 kilograms of Semtex intact inside a fuel-dense perimeter. In response, Berlin ordered the closure of the Russian House alongside the shuttering of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn.

The Russian House belongs to an institutional network managed by Rossotrudnichestvo, the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, which functions under the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rossotrudnichestvo maintains 87 foreign missions spanning 71 countries.

The EU imposed sanctions on Rossotrudnichestvo in 2022, identifying the agency as the Kremlin’s primary vehicle for projecting soft power and hybrid influence. EU findings stated that the organization coordinates networks of pro-Kremlin diaspora groups, finances propaganda operations, and disseminates revisionist historical narratives.

European intelligence assessments have linked the facilities to covert activities. Investigative findings published by German broadcasters WDR and the Süddeutsche Zeitung revealed that French intelligence agencies formally categorized the Russian House network as an operational cover for Russian foreign intelligence services.

Security researchers have similarly identified the centers as espionage platforms. Nathalie Vogel, a research fellow at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, noted that the Berlin facility served as an operational instrument for establishing clandestine agent networks, while consular posts functioned as espionage hubs across Western Europe.