Czechs ask EU to expel Russian envoys

The Czech Republic on Tuesday called on its EU and Nato partners to expel Russian diplomats in solidarity, accusing Moscow of orchestrating an "unprecedented terror attack" on Czech territory.

Foreign and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said he would summon the Russian ambassador Wednesday to disclose further steps after the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats believed by Prague to be secret agents, and of 20 Czechs from Moscow in retaliation.

"We are calling for collective action of European Union and Nato countries aimed at solidarity expulsions," Hamacek told reporters. The call comes after Prague accused Russian secret services of orchestrating a fatal explosion on Czech territory in 2014 with the alleged culprits identified as suspects in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the incident which killed two people was "an unprecedented terror attack on our territory which is unacceptable". The expelled diplomats left their posts at the sprawling Russian embassy and the much smaller Czech representation on Monday.

"We have expelled 18 officers of the (secret services) SVR and GRU and we are able to prove that every single one of them was just that," Hamacek said. He said he had summoned Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeyevsky to protest against what Prague views as a disproportionate response.