Ukraine backs Czech Republic's decision to expel 18 Russia diplomats

REUTERS

Kyiv backs a decision taken by the Czech Republic to expel 18 Russian diplomats in response to the confirmed involvement of the Russian Federation in explosions at arms depots in 2014.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced this on Twitter on April 18.

Read alsoCzech ammo blast likely staged by Russia to disrupt arms supply to Ukraine – media

"Ukraine supports [the] Czech Republic's response as Czech law enforcement confirmed Russia's involvement in the massive ammunition depot explosion in 2014 which caused loss of life. We in Ukraine know Russia's malicious methods all too well. Such acts should not go unpunished," he said on Twitter.

Czech accusations against Russia

• Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced there were well-founded suspicions of the involvement of Russian special services in the explosion of an ammunition storage facility in the Czech Republic in 2014.
• The Czech Foreign Ministry says it is expelling 18 Russian diplomats believed to be intelligence operatives in retaliation for the explosion, which killed two people.
• Meanwhile, the Czech police put on the wanted list two Russian citizens who used passports in the name of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov during their visit to Prague and the Zlín District on October 11-16, 2014.
• According to Czech media reports, an explosion at an ammunition depot in the Vrbětice complex in the Czech Republic in 2014 was most likely staged by Russian agents to disrupt arms shipments, in particular, to armed forces of Ukraine.