Danger of Russian subversive operations in Czechia, BIS chief warns

The head of the Czech Security Information Service (BIS), Michal Koudelka, warned at a conference on Monday that there is still a danger of Russian subversive operations in Czechia and that the state must be prepared to face them, the Czech News Agency reports. Mr Koudelka said that Russia is still capable of launching operations such as the explosion of the Vrbětice munitions dump in 2014, allegedly orchestrated by Russian intelligence.

However, he also said that the potential for Russian intelligence operations in Czechia had been substantially undermined by the expulsion of a significant number of diplomats in the country’s embassy in Prague.

He and other attendees at the conference agreed that one of the most significant ongoing threats is Russian disinformation. The head of Czech Military Intelligence, Jan Beroun, said that the intelligence community would profit from clearer legislation when it came to dealing with disinformation.

Both men spoke at a conference focused on Russian power and influence in Europe.