(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, MAY 31 - Germany said Wednesday it will drastically reduce Moscow's diplomatic presence on its soil in response to a similar move from Russia, in the latest escalation of tensions over the war in Ukraine. Berlin has ordered four of Moscow's five consulates in Germany to close, a foreign ministry spokesman told a regular government press conference. "This was communicated to the Russian foreign ministry today," the spokesman said. The move comes after Moscow put a limit of 350 on the number of German personnel allowed in Russia, according to the spokesman. This will mean that hundreds of civil servants and local employees working for German institutions in Russia will have to leave the country, according to the German foreign ministry. "This unjustified decision forces the government to make very substantial cuts in all areas of its presence in Russia," the spokesman said on Wednesday. (ANSA-AFP).