Czech President Petr Pavel has granted permission for 60 Czech citizens to join the Ukrainian army, reports the national portal “Adyrna.”
This information was announced on Saturday by Czech Radio, citing the President’s spokesperson, Filip Plata. In the Czech Republic, participation in foreign military actions without the President’s approval is subject to criminal prosecution.
This is not the first instance of such permission being granted. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, it is known that 553 Czech citizens have expressed a desire to fight in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with 151 of them receiving authorization.
In October, Petr Pavel awarded the Medal of Bravery to Czech volunteer Karel Küchera posthumously, who died last year fighting on the Ukrainian side in the Battle of Bakhmut.
In August, volunteer Filip Siman was sentenced to seven years by a Prague court for looting during combat near Kyiv. Siman had joined the Ukrainian army without the President’s permission and was initially charged for serving in foreign armed forces. However, he was acquitted of this charge after the court based its decision on promises from Prime Minister Petr Fiala and former President Milos Zeman not to prosecute citizens who joined Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
