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Russia expels 20 Czech diplomats in retaliation
Updated 10:03, 19-Apr-2021
CGTN

Moscow expelled 20 Czech diplomats on Sunday in a confrontation over Czech allegations that two Russians accused of a nerve agent poisoning attack in Britain in 2018 were behind an earlier explosion at a Czech ammunition depot that killed two people.

Prague had on Saturday ordered out 18 Russian diplomats, prompting Russia to vow on Sunday to "force the authors of this provocation to fully understand their responsibility for destroying the foundation of normal ties between our countries."

Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that it summoned the Czech ambassador to Russia Vitezslav Pivonka and strongly protested against what it called the unfriendly act by Czech authorities. 

Pivonka was informed that 20 people from the Czech embassy must leave Russia by the end of Monday. 

The ministry also required the Czech embassy to reduce the number of locally hired staffers to the same level as that of the Russian embassy in Prague. 

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Saturday that the country was expelling 18 staffers from the Russian embassy in Prague for the alleged involvement of the Russian special services in two ammunition depot explosions in 2014. 

The Russian foreign ministry said earlier on Sunday that Czech authorities used "unfounded and far-fetched pretexts" to continue their anti-Russian tirade in recent years and to please the United States following recent U.S. sanctions against Russia. 

(with input from Xinhua)

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