MOSCOW, 19 April, 2021 (TON): On Sunday, Russia announced the expulsion of 20 Czech diplomats a day after Prague's "unprecedented" decision to expel 18 Russian diplomats identified as secret agents.
Moscow said 20 employees of the Czech embassy had been declared "persona non grata" and must leave the country by the end of Monday.
Just after the Czech ambassador in Moscow, Vitezslav Pivonka, had been summoned by the Russian foreign ministry, the expulsions were unveiled.
The foreign ministry said in a statement, "Pivonka had been told that 20 employees of the Czech embassy in Moscow had been declared 'persona non grata'.”
"They have been ordered to leave our country by the end of April 19, 2021," the ministry added, calling the Czech government's decision to expel Russian diplomats a hostile act,” it added.
However, Moscow alleged the move bore a "trace" of involvement by Washington.
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