Russia closes office of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle

Russia said on Thursday it shut the Russian office of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in response to Berlin's recent ban on Russian broadcaster RT's German-language service RT DE.

All staff of the Russian bureau will have their accreditation revoked, and Deutsche Welle will be prohibited from broadcasting in Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In addition, a procedure will be initiated to register Deutsche Welle as a foreign agent, and German figures responsible for the ban on RT DE will be barred from entering Russia.

Germany's media regulator announced the ban on RT DE on Wednesday, saying it has "no necessary permission" to operate in the country.