Ukraine expels two Czech diplomats over spying accusations

Ukraine expels two Czech diplomats over spying accusations

2011-05-14 03:17:41 GMT+7 (ICT)

KIEV, UKRAINE (BNO NEWS) -- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Friday informed that two Czech diplomats were expelled after being accused of spying activities, the Ukrinform news agency reported.

The notification was delivered to Vitezslav Pivonka, Charge d'Affaires of the Czech Republic in Ukraine, indicating that the two diplomats were declared as "person non grata."

The Foreign Ministry added that the decision was based due to the two officials' actions which were considered as inconsistent with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian government voiced its particular concern that officials representing the Czech Republic, a friendly and trusted ally, had allegedly engaged in illegal spying activities.

Colonel Zdenek Kubicek and Major Petra Novotna were identified as the two diplomats who supposedly attempted to gain access to Ukraine's military secrets, according to Ukraine's security service spokeswoman Marina Osypenko.

She added that the two officials were detained while buying confidential documents linked to Ukraine's ambitious Antonov An-70 transport plane and Antonov An-178 cargo aircraft.

In response, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwartzenberg said that the expulsion and spying allegations were in retaliation from the Czech Republic granting asylum to former Ukrainian economics minister Bohdan Danylyshyn in January.

Danylyshyn is a close ally of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who is under investigation for alleged misuse of funds. Tymoshenko was defeated by re-elected President Viktor Yanukovych, amidst opposition fraud allegations.

Ukrainian authorities accused Danylyshyn of abuse of power for allegedly misspending around $1.75 million in state funds. He was arrested in Prague last October, but a court rejected the extradition request in February.

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