Czech Republic to limit Russian Embassy staff in Prague to 32 people

Going forward, the Russian Embassy in Prague will be staffed by 32 people — just like the Czech Republic’s Embassy in Moscow, Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek said in an interview with news site Blesk.cz. 

According to Kulhánek, seven diplomats and 25 administrative personnel will continue working at the embassies. He didn’t rule out the possibility of increasing the number of employees in the future, but he underscored that this would only take place on a reciprocal basis.

The minister also noted that the number of employees working for consulates general will not change. 

On April 22, the Czech Republic announced that it will be limiting the staff of the Russian Embassy in Prague to match the size of the Czech diplomatic mission in Moscow. This came following tit-for-tat expulsions after Prague accused the Kremlin of playing a role in a deadly explosion at a Czech arms depot in 2014.

Earlier, the Czech Republic stated that its embassy in Moscow had only 24 employees — five diplomats and 19 administrative staff members. According to the Czech Foreign Ministry, the Russian Embassy in Prague includes 27 diplomats and 67 administrative personnel.