No more than 100 Ukrainian military personnel will be able to train in the Czech Republic at the same time – media
Kyiv • UNN
The Czech parliamentary committee supported the army’s foreign missions plan for two years. The limit on Ukrainian military personnel participating in training exercises in the Czech Republic will be reduced to 100.
To defend NATO’s eastern flank, the Czech Republic will be able to deploy no more than 1,600 troops over the next two years, instead of the current 2,000. This is provided for by the government plan for the Czech Army’s foreign missions, which was supported today by a committee of the lower house of parliament, with votes from deputies of the governing coalition. Another change concerns reducing the number of Ukrainian troops who will be able to train in the Czech Republic simultaneously, UNN reports, citing Radio Prague.
Opposition lawmakers abstained during the vote.
Strengthening NATO’s eastern flank remains a priority in the mandate for the next two years, Defense Minister Jaromír Zuna said. As the number of troops available for possible deployment in other missions increases, the army’s overall capability is strengthened as well, he said. “This corresponds to actual needs and planned rotations,” the minister stated.
Chief of the Army General Staff Miroslav Hlaváč added that no more than 510 Czech troops had been deployed on NATO’s eastern flank at the same time.
Last year, 966 Czech troops and 29 active-reserve soldiers rotated through Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia, which was 478 fewer personnel overall. The new proposal provides for the possibility of deploying troops also in Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and now Finland.
The number of Czech troops taking part in the training of Ukrainian soldiers in countries outside the EU is planned to increase from 40 to a maximum of 60, while within the EU the limit remains at 100. No more than 100 Ukrainian soldiers will be able to train in the Czech Republic at the same time, whereas previously there could be as many as 800.
The government justified this by citing a reduced need. The number of troops assigned to protect the Czech diplomatic mission in Ukraine is to increase from a maximum of 20 to 30.