Czech president allows 60 citizens to fight on Ukraine’s side

President Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic has allowed 60 Czech nationals to fight alongside Ukrainian troops.

This was announced by Pavel’s press secretary Filip Platos, reports Český rozhlas.

"In total, the president granted 60 appeals," the spokesman for the president’s office told journalists.

Czechs continue to apply for permission to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. So far, Pavel has received 181 such appeals. Before the applications reach the president's desk, they are considered by the ministries of defense, internal affairs, and foreign affairs.

According to national laws, Czech citizens cannot participate in military or paramilitary formations abroad without the permission of the country's president. However, some of those who did not receive permission still fight on the side of Ukraine, so it is impossible to name the exact number of Czechs who help defend the country from the aggressor state.

Before Pavel became president, several applications were approved by his predecessor Milos Zeman.

On October 28, on the occasion of the anniversary of the formation of the independent Czechoslovak state, President Pavel awarded a medal of heroism to 22-year-old Karel Kucera, who was killed in action near Bakhmut on March 18, 2023. Kucera fought as part of the International Legion. He officially became the second Czech national to die on the Ukrainian battlefields.