Russian general wanted in Czech Republic for involvement in ammo depot explosions

The Czech police have put general of the Russian intelligence agency Andrei Averianov on the wanted list, suspecting him of involvement in the explosions at an ammunition depot in Vrbětice, according to Radio Prague International. A week ago, Czech law enforcement officials completed the investigation into the blasts at the ammunition warehouse in Vrbetice in 2014. The police confirmed that agents of Russian military intelligence were behind them. The investigators said that the main objective behind the operation was the disruption of the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine and Syria. The Czech investigative team considers officers of Averianov's unit, Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin, to be the organizers of the explosions at the depots, which resulted in the deaths of two people. British investigators suspect associates of Averianov of poisoning former Russian secret agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in 2018. Since the suspects are staying in Russia and refuse to cooperate with the Czech police, investigators cannot initiate their criminal prosecution. To investigate the explosions, the Czech side established a joint investigative group with British police officers. Following the incident, the Czech Republic announced the expulsion of 70 people, including diplomats. In a sign of solidarity, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Slovakia also expelled Russian diplomats, as per Ta3. Later, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic called on the EU countries to expel at least one Russian diplomat each, according to Ceske Noviny.  Related:

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