Russia's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Czech ambassador to Russia, Vitezslav Pivonka, after Prague demanded Moscow pay it compensation for a deadly 2014 ammunition depot blast that Prague has blamed on Russian intelligence agents.
Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on July 1 that Ambassador Pivonka would be informed during the meeting that Prague’s proposal to discuss the issue of the explosion that killed two Czech nationals in the village of Vrbetice is "unacceptable."
Earlier in the week, the Czechs summoned Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Zmeyevsky to request full compensation for the explosion.
In April, the Czechs accused Moscow of being involved in the blast, sending bilateral relations into a tailspin, with Prague expelling several of Russia’s diplomatic personnel.
Moscow, which has denied any involvement, responded similarly.
The Czechs said that two Russian men were involved in the explosion, identifying them as two Russian citizens who have also been accused by Britain of being involved in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.
