Czech news in brief for July 10: Thursday's top headlines

Czech police detained a Russian man at Prague Airport wanted in Germany on drug charges, authorities said Wednesday. The suspect, who used a false identity and had been illegally in Europe for over a decade, was caught trying to fly to Uzbekistan. His real identity was confirmed via fingerprints. He faces up to 15 years in prison and will be extradited to Germany.

Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said Wednesday the ministry had been targeted by a cyberattack, possibly linked to a foreign state actor. No personal or classified data was compromised, and police and emergency systems were unaffected. The breach was discovered internally and is under investigation. The compromised system has been disconnected, and officials assured the public that October elections will not be impacted.

Czech year-on-year inflation reached 2.9 percent in June, its highest level this year, driven by rising food and service prices, the Czech Statistical Office said Wednesday. Analysts expect inflation to ease in the coming months but warn of persistent price growth in services and housing. The data may delay further interest rate cuts by the Czech National Bank, with analysts predicting only a small cut is likely in November.

The modernization of the V411 power line, which caused a major blackout in the Czech Republic last Friday, will begin next May and cost CZK 1.7 billion, ČEPS said Tuesday. The outage, caused by a ruptured cable in the Ústí nad Labem region, left about a million customers without power. The new double high-voltage line is expected to be completed by May 2027. An investigation into the failure is ongoing.

The Czech government has banned all DeepSeek products in state administration due to data security risks, following advice from the National Office for Cyber and Information Security. PM Petr Fiala cited concerns about the Chinese state's access to user data and servers located in China and Russia. Several countries, including Australia and Italy, have imposed similar bans over national security worries.

Czechia will train up to eight Ukrainian pilots on F-16 simulators this year as part of support against Russian aggression. The 150-hour course, worth about 32 million crowns, will be run by LOM Praha and the Czech Air Force, which does not operate F-16 jets. Defence Minister Jana Černochová emphasized the training’s strategic importance for Ukraine’s defense.

The Czech government approved a pilot project to exhume mass graves at Prague’s Ďáblice cemetery, aiming to identify victims of totalitarian regimes. Prime Minister Petr Fiala called it a step toward correcting historical injustices. The project, to be coordinated by the government office and pending city approval, has a CZK 1 million budget. Initial exhumations will focus on three anti-communist prisoners executed in 1949.

The Regional Court in Ostrava reduced fines against Legalizace editor-in-chief Robert Veverka and the magazine for spreading drug addiction. Veverka’s fine dropped from CZK 100,000 to 80,000; the magazine’s from CZK 150,000 to 130,000. The case was returned after a constitutional complaint cited freedom of expression. The court upheld convictions for most articles, citing their role in encouraging illegal cannabis cultivation. The verdict is final, appealable only to the Supreme Court.

The 21st annual Masters of Rock festival kicks off Wednesday in Vizovice, drawing around 20,000 fans from 37 countries. Finnish cello-metal band Apocalyptica headlines, performing Metallica covers. Other acts include Dragonforce, Rhapsody of Fire with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, and Czech groups Citron and Sebastien. The four-day rock and metal festival is one of the largest of its kind in the country.