Russia can't be nice even when it tries to be nice.
So Russia denies blowing up a Czech ammunition depot in 2014?
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said in a briefing shown live on television that there was "well-grounded suspicion about the involvement of officers of the Russian intelligence service GRU... in the explosion of an ammunitions depot in the Vrbetice area."
Several explosions shook the Vrbetice depot, 330 km (205 miles) southeast of Prague, in October 2014, killing two employees of a private company that was renting the site from a state military organisation.
The Russians responded with their own expulsions, I read later.
I don't remember news of that back in 2014 at all. Were the Russians concerned that old Soviet ammunition would be shipped to Ukraine under attack by Russia?
The funny thing is, Russia had been trying to make friends with the Czechs:
Vladimir Putin may have lost one of his closest allies in Europe as politicians in the Czech Republic are finally uniting against Russia and calling for their partners to do the same.
Blowing up a ammunition depot was part of Putin's charm offensive, apparently. The Fuck-Up Fairy really does live in Russia now.
The clock is ticking for Russia to stop alienating the West. Russia needs to try harder.
UPDATE: Huh:
Bulgarian prosecutors said they are collecting evidence on the possible involvement of six Russians in four explosions between 2011 and 2020 at Bulgarian arms depots that were storing munitions for export to Ukraine and Georgia.
My speculation about motive was just that. But what do you know?
In that article the Russian foreign minister humorously said either the Bulgarians didn't know anything back then or they knew and kept quiet. Note the option of the Russian sabotage not happening was not offered.
UPDATE: More on Russia's revived covert operations against Europeans.
