Czech Republic set to train another 4,000 Ukrainian troops this year

The Czech Republic is set to train up to 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers on its soil this year, continuing its support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová confirmed this in an interview with Czech News Agency this weekend.

Černochová added that the Czech Republic will not send its instructors directly to Ukraine, despite considerations by other countries led by an initiative launched by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Last year, the Czech Republic trained 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers, and a mandate for this year allows for up to the same number. Achieving this target will depend on recruitment efforts in Ukraine, where groups of up to 800 participants at a time sign up for training in Czechia.

"The moment we have information that a group is full, we will provide our training facilities and instructors. I think it is worth it," Černochová tells Czech News Agency, adding that she had positive impressions from personal visits to the groups.

"[The groups consist of] men, women, and people of different ages and educational backgrounds who are very motivated to defend their country and want to learn things in record time that soldiers otherwise have to learn in long-term courses. They know they don't have that time and they have to master some skills in a matter of hours."

Other European countries, meanwhile, are planning to send military instructors directly to Ukraine.

In late May, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that President Macron was discussing with several European countries the creation of a coalition to train Ukrainian soldiers directly in Ukraine. The first of those instructors could potentially arrive in Ukraine, which has been defending against the Russian invasion for over two years, in the upcoming weeks.

Černochová noted that France and other countries are considering this option due to their geographic distance from Ukraine, making the logistics of transporting Ukrainian soldiers impractical. Conversely, the Czech Republic does not need to take such measures because of its proximity.

"From the Slovak-Ukrainian border to our Libavá training area is only a few hundred kilometers. So, for the Czech Republic, I can say that we are not planning or preparing anything like this at the moment," she stated. However, she expressed support and understanding for the French initiative.