Czech Republic prepares for record army recruitment in 2026
Kyiv • UNN
The Czech army intends to recruit 2,250 new soldiers in 2026, which will be one of the highest figures in its history. This plan exceeds the previous record of 2006, when 2,262 people joined the army.
The Czech army plans to recruit 2,250 new soldiers next year, which will be one of the highest figures in the country's history. This plan exceeds the record of the previous largest recruitment in 2006, when 2,262 people joined the army. This was reported by Cesky.Radio, writes UNN.
Details
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense (Petr Vančura) approved the recruitment plan for 2026. The plan envisages 2,250 newly recruited soldiers.
This year, the planned number of 2,100 new soldiers was reached by the end of August, said the director of the army's personnel agency, Volodymyr Studeny. By the end of the year, there are still about 200 vacant positions for the basic course, which, according to Iva Bednářová from the personnel agency, will be successfully filled.
At the beginning of 2025, the Czech army numbered 28,285 servicemen, including units of the Military Police, Military Intelligence, Castle Guard, and students of the University of Defense in Brno.
The recruitment target is calculated based on the budget for the next year and the forecast of personnel numbers. This year, the expected increase, taking into account dismissals and completion of service, will be about 650 people – the highest figure in the last five years.