Major security exercise held at Prague Castle

Prague Castle held a large-scale security drill on Tuesday, simulating emergency situations including an active shooter, a suicide bombing, and an attack on the presidential guard. The aim was to test how well security forces can respond to major threats and protect visitors and staff.

The Castle closed to the public at 3 p.m. for the exercise. It was the first full closure since May 4, during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Around two million people visit the site each year.

Since taking office, President Petr Pavel has scaled back full entry checks, replacing them with random inspections and keeping just one walk-through detector at each entrance.

The drill involved police, firefighters, paramedics, military police, the Castle Guard, the president’s security team, and the Czech Red Cross. About 300 role-players acted as visitors to help create a realistic scenario. The results will be evaluated over the coming weeks and could lead to new security recommendations.