On 14 March 2020, right before the borders got closed due to the pandemic, a Russian diplomat flew into Prague.
Read the full story, there are details on one FSB officer.
Here is what we know today:
Andrej Viktorovič Končakov
- born in 1986 in Moscow
- studied National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (МИФИ)
- interned at Moscow City administration
- worked at „Center of advanced technologies EADS-MNIIPU
Since December 2017: Acting head of Rossotrudnichestvo in the Czech Republic (=Russia Federal Agency for Compatriots Living Abroad).
He is in the Czech Republic for several years,received diplomatic status in 2019,according to @SeznamZpravy.
rsvk.cz/cs/hlavni/pred…
1) Czech counterintelligence @biscz received a tip.
2) Cover of FSB officer at Russian Embassy in Prague is blown.
3) We do not know for sure if the toxins arrived in Prague or if it was just a false tip/Russian disinformation.
But the threat is real: three Czech mayors are under police protection for more than month - due to (Russian) threat to their lives.
That is unprecedented. In 30 years, we never had such an urgent physical threat posed by Russian intelligence on the Czech soil.
RESULT: MPs from all Czech political parties publicly supported actions taken by Czech security institutions.
1) Mayor of Prague @ZdenekHrib: managed naming a „Boris Nemtsov“ Plaza next to the Russian Embassy
3) Mayor of Prague district „Řeporyje“ @PavelNovotnak: launched a memorial regarding WWII history which contradicts official Russian narratives
Since mid March, the Russian government launched aggressive intimidation campaign against the Czech Republic:
- Russian Foreign Ministry publicly supported physical attacks against Czech diplomatic facilities in Russia
+ massive disinformation
CONTEXT: Russia also pressures Poland or our Baltic allies - the Kremlin manipulates interpretation of history and "punishes" those who disagree.
@okundra /@RESPEKT_CZ:
respekt.cz/tydenik/2020/1…
@bonicek7 /@lidovenoviny: lidovky.cz/domov/pred-rus…
@SeznamZpravy: seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/mluvili…
@cirokova_k & @zuzana_cerna (@CzechTV):
ceskatelevize.cz/porady/1011703…