Illustrative photo – Battle tank T-72 M4 CZ of the 7th Mechanized Brigade of the Army of the Czech Republic, September 19, 2021.
Prague – The Czech Republic donated an unused one to Ukraine military material from the stocks of the Czech army for about 4.8 billion crowns. Czech arms manufacturers also send weapons to Ukraine, last year they exported more than 50 billion crowns worth of military equipment to the country attacked by Russia, David Jareš from the Department of Communications of the Ministry of Defense told CTK. The Czech Republic received the first compensation from the European Union for its help in January, and the United States also promised money for the modernization of the army.
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Photo gallery: Russian invasion of Ukraine
For security and tactical reasons, the state does not specify the extent of the aid, according to available information, it sent heavy equipment, including tanks and helicopter gunships, to Ukraine in addition to ammunition and small arms. “The approach of the West must be unified and effective. This means that our collective aid to Ukraine will not only continue, but that we will speed it up and increase it, whether it is the supply of ammunition, spare parts or equipment repairs,” said Defense Minister Jana Černochová (ODS ).
Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers were treated in Czech military hospitals, Ukrainian military equipment is repaired here or Ukrainian soldiers are trained. The Ministry of Defense is also considering the training or study of junior Ukrainian officers or the participation of the Military Police in the investigation of war crimes, the ČTK office informed on the one-year anniversary of the beginning of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The Russian attack began a year ago on the night of February 24. The Czech Republic soon became intensively involved in helping the attacked country. According to the Ministry of Defense, the Czech Republic donated unnecessary military material from the army's stockpiles to the Ukrainians for about 4.8 billion crowns. “The speed and scope of aid in the form of military equipment is now what saves the lives of Ukrainian soldiers who are also fighting for us,” Chernochova emphasized.
The United States announced this week that, as part of foreign military cooperation, it will provide the Czech Republic with an additional $200 million (roughly CZK 4.4 billion) to modernize the army as partial compensation for the equipment provided to Ukraine. The USA similarly supported the Czech Republic last fall, pledging 106 million dollars (2.3 billion crowns). Defense received 6.5 million euros (about 155 million crowns) from the EU at the end of January. Other amounts will be paid gradually in the following years.
Czech arms companies also supply military material to Ukraine, last year it was weapons and equipment worth more than 50 billion crowns, the ministry told ČTK. Allied countries pay part of the deliveries from the Czech Republic. For example, the USA and the Netherlands jointly paid for the renovation of 90 Czech T-72B tanks. Czech companies benefit from the long-term cooperation of the Czech defense industry with Ukraine and from the technological affinity of historically used technology.
“Thanks to the total volume of deliveries from army donations and government funding, public collections coordinated by the Ministry of Defense and deliveries on a commercial basis, which are processed in cooperation with the Department of Defense, the Czech Republic is one of the main suppliers of military equipment to Ukraine. Both in absolute numbers and in proportion to the size of the country,” the minister noted. People and companies sent 1.5 billion crowns to the Ukrainian embassy to buy weapons. Through the project Gift for Putin, they folded, among other things, on a tank.
The Czech Republic also participated in the training of Ukrainian soldiers. By the end of last year, it had trained up to 800 members of the armed forces of Ukraine. According to the office, the training covered 700 members of the mechanized battalion, as well as several dozen specialists in medical professions and chemical and engineering troops. Four more training rotations will take place this year, each with up to 800 soldiers.
In addition to training field units, the Ministry of Defense is considering training or studying junior officers, without whom field units are indispensable. The Defense University can provide the background and expertise for such training, the authority said. Černochová noted that military cooperation with Ukraine means benefits for the Czech Republic as well, as the Ukrainians' soldiers gain valuable experience in the conduct of war and knowledge of Russian tactics. dozens were treated in hospitals. “We definitely want to continue this. It will free up the medical capacities of the fighting Ukraine and at the same time our military hospitals will expand their experience in treating injuries from the war conflict,” said the minister.
The ministry also offered its premises for housing refugees from Ukraine and is negotiating with the Dutch about possible cooperation in the framework of involvement in the detection and documentation of war crimes in Ukraine. “If the agreement is concluded and the Parliament agrees, it will be members of the Military Police that we would send to monitor the situation. It will be similar to the states of the former Yugoslavia,” the ministry told ČTK.
