Firebomb attack on Russian House in Prague triggers police manhunt

Police in the Czech Republic have launched a search operation to identify a suspect who carried out an attack on the “Russian House” cultural centre in Prague by throwing multiple Molotov cocktails at the building.

According to a statement posted by Czech police on the social media platform X, the investigation began the previous evening following the incident at the facility located on Na Zátorce Street in Prague 6, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“Since last evening, we have been investigating an attack in which someone threw several Molotov cocktails at the ‘Russian House’ on Na Zátorce Street, Prague 6. We are searching for a suspect in connection with a crime involving damage to another person’s property,” the police said.

The attack took place on March 26, when the building was targeted with bottles containing flammable liquid. Igor Girenko, the head of the centre, stated that six Molotov cocktails were thrown at the site, though three of them did not explode.

Russian officials condemned the incident. Pavel Shevtsov, deputy head of Rossotrudnichestvo, described it as a deliberate act targeting Russian property, calling it a premeditated terrorist attack. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova characterised the attack as a “barbaric act.”

The “Russian House” in Prague, which has operated since 1971 with the support of Rossotrudnichestvo, serves as a cultural institution promoting Russian language, traditions, and cultural programs in the Czech Republic.

By Tamilla Hasanova