Czech Republic bans entry of unaccredited Russian diplomats

The Czech Republic has banned entry into the country of Russian diplomats who do not hold Czech accreditation, the country announced Monday.

"At my proposal today the government has banned entry into Czechia for Russian diplomats and holders of service passports who do not have national accreditation from Czechia," Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on the US social media company X, using another name for the Czech Republic.

He noted that the measure applies at international airports.

"Sabotage operations are on the rise and we will not risk agents operating under diplomatic cover. We are setting an example for other countries and I will continue to push for the most rigorous measures at the Schengen level," he added.

In August, Lipavsky said that he would propose ending the free movement of Russian diplomats in the Schengen area as part of a new EU sanctions package unveiled on Sept. 19.

In recent weeks, NATO countries have been on edge over alleged Russian airspace violations, following years of acts of sabotage-including on cables and other infrastructure-which some Western countries have blamed on Moscow.