The Russian flag still flies over the Consulate building in Constanța. This is despite the Romanian authorities deciding to close the diplomatic representation and expel Consul General Andrei Kosilin, after a Russian drone crashed onto a building in Galați.
The Consul has already left Romania at the end of May, but the consulate’s closure procedure is still ongoing.
According to Info Sud-Est, which requested explanations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the consular staff was given a 30-day deadline to evacuate the building and complete the necessary administrative formalities for closure.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the procedure complies with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Although the Consul General was declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave the country, the rest of the consular staff have a longer period to hand over and vacate the building.
The decision to close the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in Constanța was announced on May 29 by the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, following an emergency meeting of the Supreme Council for Country's Defense (CSAT) convened after the crash of a Russian drone loaded with explosives in Galați.
The Consulate is located in a building on Mihai Viteazu street in Constanța, owned by the Russian Federation. According to cadastral data, the headquarters have been used by Russians since 1947, from the time of the Soviet Union.
The complex consists of five buildings – two administrative offices, two garages, and a checkpoint – and has a total area of 756 sqm.
Prior to the decision to close, the General Consulate of Russia in Constanța had jurisdiction over the counties of Constanța, Tulcea, Brăila, and Galați.