The program was announced by Defence Minister Jana Cernochova. Photo: army.cz.
Prague, Nov 17 (CTK) – The Czech government yesterday approved five four-week training programs for Ukrainian soldiers, as announced by Defence Minister Jana Cernochova. Up to 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in the Czech Republic by the end of next year, with a group of up to 800 of them by the end of this year.
The government proposal will now be submitted to the two houses of parliament.
The Defence Ministry estimates the cost of the training at CZK 975 million.
The training is based on a bilateral agreement between the Czech and Ukrainian governments, and will be carried out under the EU assistance mission, Cernochova said. EU Defence ministers decided in Prague in August that it is necessary to prepare a training mission, with the aim of providing training for up to 15,000 Ukrainian troops, mostly at a base in Poland.
The training is to cost CZK 195 million this year and CZK 780 million in 2023. It will be paid from the Defence Ministry budget, and after moving under the EU assistance mission it will be partially covered from EU finances.
Cernochova said the Czech Republic should earmark up to 55 people for the EU assistance mission, who would operate on the territory of other EU countries in the mission’s command or as instructors.
This year, up to 700 members of a mechanised battalion, 40 security unit members, 30 medical experts, 20 sappers and ten chemical experts will take part in the Ukrainian training in the Czech Republic. The four other training missions planned for next year will consist of the same type of soldiers.
The government today also approved the mandate of the deployment of Czech soldiers in Iraq, Kuwait and Kosovo until 2024. Up to 40 military police will be sent to Kosovo from July 2023 to December 2024. In Iraq, up to 20 Czech soldiers are to continue taking part in the NATO mission.
