Czech Republic expels 18 Russian diplomats

SANAA, April 18 (YPA) – The Czech Republic is expelling 18 employees of the Russian embassy, First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said Saturday, according to Reuters.

“As the Czech foreign minister, I decided to expel all the employees of the Russian embassy in Prague who have been clearly identified by our special services as officers of the Russian intelligence agencies SVR and GRU. Within 48 hours, 18 staff members of the Russian embassy must leave the Czech Republic,” he said, TASS reported.

For  his part, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said that the national intelligence services had pointed to the Russian military intelligence agency’s (GRU) involvement in the explosion at an ammunition depot in the village of Vrbetice, outside the city of Zlin in the east of the country, in 2014.

“There is well-grounded suspicion about the involvement of officers of the Russian intelligence service GRU, unit 29155, in the explosion of ammunition depot in the Vrbetice area,” Babis added.

E.M