Czech President Petr Pavel approved 40 applications for permission to participate in combat in Ukraine in 2024—double the number granted the previous year.
This information was shared by the spokesperson for the Czech president’s office, Filip Platoš.
In total, 109 Czech citizens applied to the president for permission to fight on Ukraine’s side in 2024, with one in three applications approved. The most common reasons for rejection were negative assessments from the Czech Ministry of Defense, Ministry of the Interior, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Among the applicants in 2024 were three women, and Pavel approved the requests of all three, Platoš noted.
“As of now, President Petr Pavel has received applications from 181 citizens of the Czech Republic seeking permission to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Overall, he has approved 60 applications, receiving positive recommendations from all three ministries,” he concluded.
It remains unknown how many Czechs—whether with or without permission—ultimately travel to Ukraine. Any citizen who joins the Ukrainian or any other army outside NATO without authorization faces criminal prosecution in the Czech Republic.
