Russian Foreign Ministry Summons Czech Ambassador Amid Prague's New Claims About Vrbetice Blasts

Earlier, Czech authorities had demanded that Russia pay 25.5 million euros ($30.4 million) for the 2014 blasts in Vrbetice.

Czech Ambassador to Moscow Vitezslav Pivonka has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry amid new statements from Prague regarding the alleged Vrbetica bombings, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

"In the near future, we will explain our attitude to this politicized issue to the head of the Czech diplomatic mission in Moscow, who has been summoned to Smolenskaya Square," Zakharova said.

Earlier it was reported that Prague was demanding that Russia pay 25.5 million euros for damage in connection with the explosions in 2014 at military depots in the village of Vrbetice, while asking to exclude it from the list of states unfriendly to Russia.

Russian government approved the list of unfriendly states on 13 May 2021. At the moment, Russia’s list of unfriendly countries includes the United States and the Czech Republic.

In mid-April, Prague accused Russia's special services of involvement in the 2014 explosions of Vrbetice ammunition depots — allegations that Moscow denied — and went on to expel 18 Russian diplomats. Russia responded by declaring 20 Czech diplomats personae non gratae.