OREANDA-NEWS. The term of the ultimatum on the comeback of Czech diplomats to Russia, which Prague announced to Moscow, has just expired.

Earlier, the head of the Czech Foreign Ministry, Jakub Kulganek, said that the diplomats sent from Russia should be returned back to it on Thursday before 12.00 (13:00 Moscow time), otherwise the quantity of the Russian embassy staff will be decreased to the same level as the Czech one. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova adviced Czech representatives to use its ultimatums for communication with NATO members instead of talking to Russia/ She noted that "such a tone is unacceptable with Russia." The Czech ambassador has already been invited to the Russian Foreign Ministry on 22 April.

Czech Prime Minister Andrei Babis said on the evening of April 17 that his collegues suspect the Russian special services of participating in the explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbetica in 2014. The Kremlin said that these allegations are completely outrageous and groundless. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman called the situation with mentioning the explosions of warehouses in the Czech Republic "a marasmic parade." As a result 18 Russian diplomats were sent out of the country.

In exchange, Russia did the same, as Czech did, with its 20 diplomats; they had already left Russia. First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Jan Hamacek noted that the work of the Czech embassy in Moscow is almost paralyzed. The Russian Foreign Ministry responded that Prague paid a "colossal" price for its steps towards Moscow, but it itself dealt a blow to its diplomatic service.