After the news that the Czech authorities intend to expel 18 Russian diplomats because of Russia's involvement in an explosion at an arms depot in 2014 which killed two people, the Russian Federation reacted sharply.
According to the Russian Ministry of foreign affairs, on Sunday, April 18, Moscow declared 20 employees of the Czech Embassy non grata in the country and said that they should leave Russia by the end of April 19. Moscow has given the Czech diplomats a day to leave while the Czech Republic has given the Russians 72 hours.
Russia's foreign ministry called the Czech decision "unprecedented" and a "hostile act".
"In their desire to please the United States against the background of recent US sanctions against Russia, Czech authorities in this respect even outdid their masters from across the pond," a foreign ministry statement said.
According to Czech local intelligence agents, the diplomats are Russian intelligence operatives. They are suspected of involvement in an explosion at an arms depot in 2014 which killed two people. The explosion tore apart an ammunition storage depot in a forest at Vrbětice in the Czech Republic on October 16, 2014.
First, the blast was assumed to have been an accident but then painstaking detective work by Czech authorities has pointed the finger at Moscow - and Unit 29155 of Russia's GRU intelligence agency.
As per czech media reports, quoting unnamed investigators, arms and ammunition at the depot might have been destined for either Ukrainian forces fighting pro-Russian rebels or rebels in Syria fighting the Russia-backed government there.
The Czech Republic will inform Nato and EU allies about its suspicions, and will discuss the matter at an EU foreign ministers' meeting on Monday, its acting Foreign Minister Jan Hamacek said. The US state department said it stood with the Czech Republic in its "firm response against Russia's subversive actions on Czech soil".
In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry denied all accusations.
"This hostile step was a continuation of a series of anti-Russian actions taken by the Czech Republic in recent years. You can't help but see the American footprint. In an effort to please the U.S. against the background of recent U.S. sanctions against Russia, the Czech authorities have even surpassed their overseas masters in this part.
We strongly protest the Czech authorities. Let's take retaliation measures that will force the authors of this provocation to realize the full responsibility for the destruction of the foundations of normal development of relations between our countries," the Lavrov department noted.