-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
An unidentified individual threw several Molotov cocktails at the Russian cultural center building in Prague late Thursday night.
The attack caused damage to the facade and a window, though no injuries were reported. Local police are currently investigating the incident, according to Deutsche Welle on March 27.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The event took place in the Prague-6 district, an area that hosts many diplomatic missions including the Russian embassy. While the building known as the "Russian House" did not catch fire, the exterior was partially scorched and one window was shattered.
The Russian embassy in Czechia stated that the attacker threw approximately six bottles. The director of the center, Igor Girenko, noted that three of the Molotov cocktails failed to explode. No one was hurt during the incident.
The Russian embassy described the attack as an "unprecedented act of violence that threatened the life and health of employees." Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the incident a "barbaric act."
Czech Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar stated that any attacks are unacceptable and confirmed that the case is under investigation. Authorities expressed readiness to take additional security measures if necessary.
The Russian embassy has requested that Czech authorities increase protection for Russian institutions and their staff in the country.
The Russian House is located in the Dejvice diplomatic quarter near the Russian embassy. It operates under the Russian state agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which is on the EU sanctions list for spreading Kremlin propaganda.
Despite the sanctions, the center continues to offer language courses, film screenings, and translation awards because its operations are governed by interstate agreements.
Demands to close the institution, which has been in the Czech capital since 1971, have persisted for years. Last April, activists from the "Voice of Ukraine" organization protested outside the building against Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At that time, the Russian ambassador to the Czechia, Alexander Zmeyevsky, expressed dissatisfaction with the atmosphere in Prague. Meanwhile, the Czech cultural center in Moscow has been completely closed since March 2022 following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to a report by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism and GLOBSEC, Russia conducted or attempted 110 attacks on European soil between 2022 and mid-2025.
Following the expulsion of many of its official operatives, Moscow turned to recruiting criminals, gang members, and convicts to carry out sabotage, arson, and targeted killings.
These individuals were weaponized as tools of state policy to destabilize the continent, effectively turning Europe's underworld into a hybrid battlefield.
-9a7b3a98ed5c506e0b77a6663f5727c5.png)
