MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s foreign ministry said on Saturday it had summoned the Czech Republic’s temporary charge d’affaires in Russia, protesting against Prague’s response to an air strike on Hroza in northeastern Ukraine this month that killed dozens.
The ministry said it had summoned the Czech diplomat on Oct. 17 “in response to the recent demarche by the Czech foreign ministry”.
“A decisive protest was lodged and the Russian position on the situation around Ukraine was thoroughly stated, including in the context of Ukrainian fabrications picked up by Prague about the alleged involvement of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the strikes on civilian infrastructure in Hroza,” the ministry said.
The Kremlin said after the attacks that the Russian military does not strike civilian targets in Ukraine.
The ministry went on to criticise Prague’s active support for Kyiv.
Shortly after the attack, the Czech foreign ministry said it would summon Russia’s ambassador.
(Writing by Alexander Marrow; editing by Mark Heinrich and Toby Chopra)