On October 16 and December 3, 2014, two explosions devastate the Vrbětice ammunition depots in eastern Czech Republic. Two Czech workers die in the first explosion.
The investigation
In 2021, after years of investigation, Czech authorities publicly reveal that the explosions were a sabotage operation conducted by the GRU (Russian military intelligence service). The identified agents are:
- Anatoliy Chepiga (alias Ruslan Boshirov)
- Alexander Mishkin (alias Alexander Petrov)
They are the same agents who in 2018 would attempt to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, UK, using the Novichok nerve agent.
Motive
The ammunition in the Vrbětice depots was destined for Ukraine, which in 2014 was fighting pro-Russian separatists in Donbass. The sabotage aimed to disrupt these supplies.
Diplomatic consequences
The Czech Republic expels 18 Russian diplomats. Russia responds by expelling 20 Czech diplomats. The case demonstrates that hostile Russian operations on European soil are not limited to the former Soviet space.