Latest news with #JanLipavský
Euractiv
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Arrest in Russia-linked school bomb threats sparks Czech-Slovak row
Arrest in Russia-linked school bomb threats sparks Czech-Slovak row PRAGUE - Slovakia's arrest of a Ukrainian suspect in last year's school bomb threats has sparked tensions with Czechia after Prague said the man was likely funded by Russian, a detail Slovak authorities left out. The Ukrainian suspect is accused of sending bomb threats that disrupted hundreds of schools across Slovakia and Czechia in September 2024, prompting evacuations and emergency police action. In a Facebook post , Slovak police said the arrest was made in Dnipro, Ukraine, as part of a joint operation with Czech and Ukrainian counterparts. But the Slovak statement, which according to the Czech officials was missing some information, quickly drew pushback. The Czech Security Information Service (BIS) said the Ukrainian suspect was 'likely financed by a Russian actor ' - a detail omitted from the Slovak police statement. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský similarly referred to 'a very likely' Russian actor behind the threats. In a press release , Prague's public prosecutor's office said the case is classified as a threat to commit a terrorist crime, which carries a sentence of five to 15 years under Czech law. However, the case has exposed deeper strains in Czech-Slovak cooperation. According to Czech outlet Deník N , Czech prosecutors had urged Slovak authorities to delay the announcement until both sides could present a complete account - including the Russian connection. 'The Slovaks released it deliberately, to make it look like Ukrainians were behind it,' one source told the outlet. Tensions escalated after Czech police spokesperson Ondřej Moravčík told CNN Prima NEWS: 'It's not that we were cooperating - we were the key players, and they just tagged along.' Although the quote was then removed from the broadcast, an audio recording spread online. Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok defended his police forces and urged Czech officials to exercise restraint - but not say why the Russian link was not disclosed. Slovakia's opposition jumped on the fallout, accusing the government of mishandling the case and calling for Eštok's resignation.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine is no longer just aid recipient but strategic partner in Europe's security
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský has stated that over the past two years, Ukraine's role in European security has shifted from that of an aid recipient to an equal strategic partner. Source: Lipavský at the GLOBSEC 2025 forum in Czechia on 13 June, as reported by European Pravda Details: Lipavský said that the EU's shared understanding and reality have evolved over the past two years from "we have to help Ukraine" and "Ukraine, please help us" to true cooperation. Quote: "It is in our interest that we cooperate with Ukraine on our security. Now Ukraine possesses some of the state-of-the-art technologies, which possibly we want to have them too. So the only way to be part of that is to be doing things in and doing things with Ukraine." Details: Lipavský stressed that Ukraine is not a country whose "capital can be defeated in three days", but a "strategic partner in building up Europe's security". Quote: "It is in our interest that Ukraine is on our side, and we craft this strategic partnership and that we will integrate Ukraine in so many fields. And this is a novelty. This was not here three years ago, maybe two years ago. But it is the trend of the last year." More details: Lipavský also noted Czechia's active policy of launching joint projects with Ukraine. Quote: "We are very grateful for this. So you have the dedication, our support and altogether we can defeat Russia and keep borders where the borders should be." Background: Czech President Petr Pavel previously said that under Czechia's initiative to procure ammunition for Ukraine globally, deliveries for 2026 are already being prepared. Following his meeting with Pavel in Prague in early May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine and Czechia are working on establishing a joint Czech-Ukrainian F-16 training school. Czechia also recently completed a two-year programme to train 18 Ukrainian civilian aviation pilots. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Czechia reacts to Ukrainian strike on Russian strategic aircraft
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, commenting on the attack on Russian strategic aircraft, has said that it is in Europe's interest to have a strong and well-armed Ukraine as an ally. Source: Lipavský on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Lipavský noted that after the Ukrainian attack on Russian airfields, he expects Russian strategic aircraft to violate NATO airspace by 30% less. "It is confirmed that it is in our security interests to have a strong, stable and well-armed Ukraine as an ally," he added. Background: On 1 June, a series of strikes on Russian aircraft took place at at least four airfields in Russia. A Ukrainska Pravda source said this was a special operation by the Security Service of Ukraine which resulted in the destruction of about 40 aircraft, including strategic bombers. A source also told Ukrainska Pravda that the special operation, codenamed Pavutyna (Spider's Web), had been in preparation for over a year and a half. As part of the operation, the special services first transported FPV drones to Russia and then mobile wooden crates in which the drones were hidden. Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide reiterated Ukraine's right to defend itself following a series of drone strikes on Russian airfields on Sunday 1 June. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Associated Press
30-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Czech Republic accuses China of ‘malicious cyber campaign' against its foreign ministry
PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic has accused China of being 'responsible' for cyberattacks against a a communication network of its Foreign Ministry, officials said on Wednesday. The Foreign Ministry in Prague said the malicious activities started in 2022 and targeted the country's critical infrastructure, adding it believed the Advanced Persistent Threat 31, or APT31, hacking group, which is associated with the Chinese Ministry of State Security, was behind the campaign. It was not immediately clear what specific information were seized or what damage was caused by the attacks. The Czech ministry said a new communication system has already been put in place. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said in a separate statement that his ministry summoned China's ambassador to Prague to make it clear to Beijing 'that such activities have serious impacts on mutual relations.' 'The government of the Czech Republic strongly condemns this malicious cyber campaign against its critical infrastructure,' the statement said. 'Such behavior undermines the credibility of the People's Republic of China and contradicts its public declarations.' The Chinese Embassy dismissed the Czech accusations as 'groundless.' It said China fights 'all forms of cyber attacks and does not support, promote or tolerate hacker attacks.' The United States denounced the Chinese activities and called on China to stop it immediately, the U.S. Embassy in Prague said in a statement. It said ATP31 previously targeted U.S. and foreign politicians, foreign policy experts and others. 'APT31 has also stolen trade secrets and intellectual property, and targeted entities in some of America's most vital critical infrastructure sectors, including the Defense Industrial Base, information technology, and energy sectors,' the embassy said. NATO and the European Union also condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Czechs. 'We observe with increasing concern the growing pattern of malicious cyber activities stemming from the People's Republic of China,' NATO said. 'This attack is an unacceptable breach of international norms,' Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, said. 'The EU will not tolerate hostile cyber actions.' In a separated cyberattack in 2017, the email account of then Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek and the accounts of dozens of ministry officials were successfully hacked. Officials said the attack was sophisticated, and experts believed it was done by a foreign state, which was not named then.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Czech Republic accuses China of ‘malicious cyber campaign' against its foreign ministry
Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky speaks to journalists during joint press conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha in Kyiv, Ukraine, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File) PRAGUE — The Czech Republic has accused China of being 'responsible' for cyberattacks against a a communication network of its Foreign Ministry, officials said on Wednesday. The Foreign Ministry in Prague said the malicious activities started in 2022 and targeted the country's critical infrastructure, adding it believed the Advanced Persistent Threat 31, or APT31, hacking group, which is associated with the Chinese Ministry of State Security, was behind the campaign. It was not immediately clear what specific information were seized or what damage was caused by the attacks. The Czech ministry said a new communication system has already been put in place. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said in a separate statement that his ministry summoned China's ambassador to Prague to make it clear to Beijing 'that such activities have serious impacts on mutual relations.' 'The government of the Czech Republic strongly condemns this malicious cyber campaign against its critical infrastructure,' the statement said. 'Such behavior undermines the credibility of the People's Republic of China and contradicts its public declarations.' The Chinese Embassy dismissed the Czech accusations as 'groundless.' It said China fights 'all forms of cyber attacks and does not support, promote or tolerate hacker attacks.' The United States denounced the Chinese activities and called on China to stop it immediately, the U.S. Embassy in Prague said in a statement. It said ATP31 previously targeted U.S. and foreign politicians, foreign policy experts and others. 'APT31 has also stolen trade secrets and intellectual property, and targeted entities in some of America's most vital critical infrastructure sectors, including the Defense Industrial Base, information technology, and energy sectors,' the embassy said. NATO and the European Union also condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Czechs. 'We observe with increasing concern the growing pattern of malicious cyber activities stemming from the People's Republic of China,' NATO said. 'This attack is an unacceptable breach of international norms,' Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, said. 'The EU will not tolerate hostile cyber actions.' In a separated cyberattack in 2017, the email account of then Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek and the accounts of dozens of ministry officials were successfully hacked. Officials said the attack was sophisticated, and experts believed it was done by a foreign state, which was not named then. ___ Sam McNeil contributed to this report from Paris. Karel Janicek, The Associated Press
