Czechia expels Russian diplomats over 2014 ammunition depot blast

Eighteen Russian diplomats identified as spies given 48 hours to leave the country, officials say.

The Czech Republic has announced that it is expelling 18 Russian diplomats identified as spies over a huge ammunition depot explosion in 2014. Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Saturday the Czech intelligence agencies had provided evidence about the involvement of Russian military agents in the massive explosion that killed two people. He said the Czech Republic, as a sovereign state, had to react to those findings. “There is well-grounded suspicion about the involvement of officers of the Russian intelligence service GRU, unit 29155, in the explosion of ammunitions depot in the Vrbetice area,” Babis said.