April 18, local time, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that 20 staff members of the Czech Embassy were classified as “undesirable persons” and ordered to leave the country by April 20.
“The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Czech Ambassador to Russia Bivonica to make a strong protest against the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the Czech Republic,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said, according to The Russian Satellite News Agency on April 19. At the same time, it was informed that 20 staff members of the Czech Embassy were classified as undesirable persons.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry has asked the expelled Czech embassy staff to leave the country by April 20.
“The Russian side also asked the Czech side to maintain the number of local employees of its embassy in Moscow in line with the number of foreign staff of the Russian Embassy in the Czech Republic,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note to the Czech Ambassador.”
On the evening of April 18th Rudolf Kindrak, head of the international office of the Czech presidency, said that after Russia expelled 20 Czech diplomats, the Czech Embassy in Russia would have only five diplomats left to continue.
Czech Prime Minister Barbis announced on April 17th that his government suspected Russian secret services of involvement in the 2014 bombing of ammunition depots in the residential area of Verbertica.
Czech First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Hamachek told a news conference that 18 Russian embassy personnel were identified by the Czech security services as intelligence agents, they must leave the Czech Republic within 48 hours. Czech police have arrested two Russian citizens, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshlov.
In response to the Czech expulsion of Russian diplomats, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, “This hostility is a continuation of a series of anti-Russian actions taken by the Czech Republic in recent years, from which it is impossible to see the United States.” Against the backdrop of recent U.S. sanctions against Russia, the Czech government has tried to please the U.S., even surpassing its masters across the ocean. ”
On the 15th of this month, the U.S. government imposed large-scale sanctions on Russia and expelled 10 Russian diplomats, citing Malicious Activities Such As Russian CyberattackS And Interference In U.S. ElectionS.
