Chechen President Approves Double the Number of Ukrainian War Volunteers in 2024
PRAGUE — President Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic has approved 40 applications for Czech citizens to fight in the ongoing war in Ukraine, twice the number he signed off on the previous year. According to a report by iROZHLAS, a representative from the presidential office, Filip Platoche, confirmed this development to European Truth.
A total of 109 Czech citizens applied to serve in Ukraine’s military in 2024. Despite the increase in applications, President Pavel approved only one-third, with rejections often due to unfavorable assessments from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Notably, among the applicants were three women, all of whose requests were approved by President Pavel. To date, he has received a total of 181 applications, endorsing 60 of them with positive recommendations from all three ministries.
However, it remains unclear how many Czech volunteers ultimately reach Ukraine, as joining a foreign army without permission is a criminal offense in the Czech Republic.
Four Czech volunteers have officially died while fighting for Ukraine since the war began. Among them was Karel Kučera, who was posthumously awarded the Herník medal by President Petr Pavel on the Czech Republic’s Independence Day. Kučera had traveled to Ukraine without official approval during the tenure of former President Miloš Zeman.
Keep reading