The Czech Republic approves continuation of training of Ukrainian military in 2024
29 November, 2023 Ukrainian military during exercises in the Czech Republic, December 2022. Photo credits: Czech Army The Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic has approved the continuation of the mission to train Ukrainian servicemen on Czech soil next year.
Members of the Lower House of Parliament approved the Czech government's proposal on Tuesday, November 28. According to the proposal, instructors from other NATO countries will also be able to train Ukrainians in the Czech Republic. "If the Czech Republic has no other way to help, then this is the form of assistance that is being offered.
This form of assistance is also beneficial for our soldiers," Defense Minister Jana Cernochova appealed when asking to support the proposal. She added that although there is no longer much equipment in the army depots that could be transferred, support for Ukraine, which has been defending itself against aggressive Russia since February last year, will continue.
Ukrainian military during exercises in the Czech Republic, December 2022. Photo credits: Czech Armed Forces
So far, according to officials, about 3,500 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in the Czech Republic, and about another 500 have been trained by Czech instructors in Poland.
According to the proposal, instructors from other NATO countries will also be able to train Ukrainians in the Czech Republic. At the same time, the number of foreign military personnel should not exceed 800, as it was this year.
129 of the 150 MPs present voted in favor of continuing the training of Ukrainian troops in the Czech Republic, which is necessary to counter the Russian invasion. At least 101 votes were required for approval.
The proposal was also supported by MPs from the opposition ANO movement. At the same time, Radim Fiala, Head of the faction of another opposition party, Freedom and Direct Democracy (Czech: Svoboda a prima demokracie, SPD), along with ten members of his party, unsuccessfully tried to reject the proposal to continue training the Ukrainian military, as this political force sees it as "supporting the continuation of the conflict."
A T-72EA tank modernized at the facilities of the Czech defense company Excalibur Army. Photo illustration
Earlier this month, the Czech Ministry of Defense declassified data on military equipment transferred to Ukraine at the request of the Prisaha civic movement.
Some of the equipment and weapons were supplied from army depots, while others were purchased from local companies.
Ukrainian military personnel on exercises in Poland as part of the EUMAM Ukraine mission, December 2022.
Photo credits: Twitter/Joseph Borrell
The EU Council agreed to allocate an additional EUR 194 million to fund the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine).