In order to support Prague in its confrontation with Moscow, the Czech Republic on Tuesday asked its partners in the European Union and NATO to expel Russian diplomats from their country.

"We call for collective action by EU and NATO countries leading to expulsions out of solidarity," said Jan Hamacek, Czech Minister of Interior and Foreign Affairs.

He said he would summon Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeevsky on Wednesday to notify him of new measures after the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats accused of espionage and sabotage.

Moscow responded with the expulsion of 20 Czech diplomats.

Moscow accused of orchestrating an explosion in an arms depot

"It is logical that if the Czech Republic takes new measures, the Russian ambassador is the first to be accused," said the minister.

Citing an intelligence report, the Czech government said on Saturday that agents of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence, were implicated in the explosion of an ammunition depot in Vrbetice, in the eastern Czech Republic, in 2014. This explosion killed two people and caused extensive material damage.

The Czech police, for their part, said they were looking for their alleged role in the explosion two men carrying Russian passports bearing the same names as the suspects of the attempted poisoning at Novichok by ex-double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, in Great Britain, in 2018.

Russian vaccine boycott Sputnik V

The Czech government announced Monday that it is now excluding the Russian group Rosatom from a multi-billion euro nuclear power plant tender, and has ruled out using the Russian vaccine Sputnik V against the coronavirus.

The European Union said Monday evening to bring "full support and solidarity" to the Czech Republic, Brussels saying "deeply worried about the systematic repetition of harmful and dangerous behavior of Russia in Europe".

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  • Spying