Final of the diplomatic conflict over Vrbetice. Russia sends three special flights to Prague

There is a week left until the end of the period during which the employees of the Russian Embassy in the Czech Republic must leave the republic as part of the mutual reduction in the number of diplomatic workers in both countries. A diplomatic scandal between the countries erupted after the publication of the “Vrbetice case”.

According to the portal Seznam Zprávy, Prague airport will receive three special flights from Russia and back at the end of May. That is, at a time when diplomats and other employees of the Russian diplomatic service must leave the Czech capital.

In April, the Russian side already sent a special flight to the Czech Republic for the deported diplomats, whom the Czech authorities called spies. Now the final of the Czech-Russian discord is approaching – equality will be achieved in the number of employees of the embassies of the Czech Republic and Russia. Soon, several dozen Russian citizens are to leave Prague.

“We can confirm the information that the Prague airport was informed about three special flights from and to Russia, one on May 29 and two others on May 31. The reasons, circumstances and information about the passengers of these flights are not known to the Prague airport ”, – the press secretary of the Prague airport Klara Diviškova told reporters about this. The Foreign Ministry did not give an official comment on this issue.

After it became clear that Russian intelligence officers of the GRU were involved in the explosions at the ammunition depot in Vrbetica, the Czech government took drastic measures: it expelled 18 Russian diplomats who worked at the embassy in Prague. The Czech authorities identified these people as agents of the Russian intelligence services of the GRU and SVR.

In response, Moscow expelled 20 Czech diplomats, but this decision did not eliminate the inequality in personnel between the Czech and Russian embassies. After the first “layoff” in Prague, the Russian side had 27 diplomats and 67 technical and administrative staff, while the Czechs in Moscow had 5 diplomats and 19 other employees. As part of further negotiations between Moscow and Prague, it was decided to equalize the number of employees in both embassies. 7 diplomats and 25 other employees will remain there.