Czechs shut Russian consulates, recall ambassadors, stop visas for Russians

PRAGUE (Reuters) – The Czech Republic will close Russian consulates in the country and stop issuing visas to Russians apart from humanitarian cases, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Thursday.

The country, a NATO and European Union member, will close two Russian consulates in Brno, the second largest Czech city, and Karlovy Vary and also shut its consulates in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg in Russia, Fiala said.

He said the government would also call home its ambassadors to Russia and Belarus for consultations. The moves come after Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.