Russians seize Prague Pitched battle with Czechs

Prague, Aug. 21: Soviet, East German, Polish, Hungarian and Bulgarian tanks, troops and jet planes occupied ‘ Czechoslovakia today in an overnight invasion of the former satellite to smash its programme of liberal reforms.

Small arms and cannon fire echoed in the streets of Prague. There were casualties. The Czechoslovak News Agency Ceteka said today that Party Leader Alexander Dubcek is under restriction in the Party’s Central Committee building.

The Czechoslovak Communist Party led by the First Secretary Alexander Dubcek denounced the invasion, asked citizens not to fight and to offer only “passive resistance.”

However Prague crowds, waving their national flags and shouting for the Russians to go home, swarmed around the invaders.

At least five Czechoslovaks were reported to have died in sporadic clashes.

In the city’s main square, a US diplomat saw two Czechoslovak soldiers crushed by a Russian tank.

A woman was killed by Soviet machine gun fire, a West German Radio Correspondent said he saw two more Czechoslovak civilians shot to death by the invaders in the Wencelas Square violence.

The Czechoslovak New Agency “Ceteka” said Prague citizens threw themselves in front of Soviet tanks in Wencelas Square in attempts to block the invaders.