Czech Republic–Russia relations

The Czech Republic has revealed the dismantling of a vast network of Russian influence spanning across Europe, with Bulgaria among its targeted countries. Prime Minister Petr Fiala disclosed the operation at a press conference, highlighting the involvement of a dozen European secret services in uncovering the intricate web of propaganda and political manipulation.

On the first day of its presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Czech Republic announced that it was reducing the staff of the Russian embassy in Prague to the number of Czech officials in Moscow.

The news was announced by the country's foreign minister Jakub Kulhanek at a press conference after a government meeting, quoted by Bulgarian media "SEGA".

The foreign minister of the Czech Republic demanded on Wednesday that Russia allow its expelled diplomats to return to Moscow or face further tit-for-tat expulsions.

The new Czech Foreign Minister, Jakub Kulhanek, summoned Russian ambassador Aleksandr Zmeyevsky to Prague to protest what he called Russia's "inappropriate reaction".

Russia on April 18 ordered 20 Czech diplomats to leave the country within a day in response to the Czech government's expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats it identified as spies for a military intelligence agency that Prague claims was involved in a 2014 ammunition depot explosion.