Overview

• Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský announced that only accredited employees of the Russian embassy in Prague will be allowed to enter the country through international airports.
• The Foreign Ministry says Czechia is the first EU state to impose such a restriction on Russian diplomatic personnel, according to spokesman Daniel Drake.
• Officials frame the move as a temporary national measure designed to serve as a model and complement planned EU and Schengen‑wide travel limits for Russian diplomats.
• Lipavský acknowledged acting alone is not ideal but argued the decree addresses a pressing security problem.
• The step follows BIS warnings in 2024 about efforts to build a broader spy network under diplomatic cover and comes after years of strained ties, including the 2014 Vrbetice blast and reciprocal expulsions in 2021.