Some Czechs have been in the Ukrainian army for more than two years. More than 150 of them received permission to join the ranks of the AFU from President Petr Pavel and his predecessor Miloš Zeman. But the number of Czechs fighting for Ukraine may increase in the future, Czech TV channel CT24 reports.
The administration of the current head of state wants to simplify the process of authorising citizens to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Czech TV reporter Darja Stomatova interviewed two Czech mercenaries in Ukraine.
The first of the Czech mercenaries arrived in Ukraine in March 2022, shortly after the start of the military conflict. He said he works in the intelligence service. “I can’t say anything else,” he noted, but added that where there is a problem, he helps solve it. “We get information which they then process through the chain of command,” he added.
He also attends drone management courses now, where people who have been directly through combat operations give lectures. The worst thing he experienced in Ukraine was “collecting friends at the front to bring something home to their families or wives.”
A second Czech mercenary interviewed by journalist Stomatova said he has been in Ukraine for a year and a few months.
He is mostly scared when he is “in battle” where the risk of death is high. As a medic, he helps “the guys to survive.” Amputations are particularly psychologically challenging for him. He admits that the experience has affected him. He stated in an interview:
“Everyone should know in advance how much they are willing to pay.”
The mercenary also stated that it would be great if professional soldiers, “pros with training”, could come to Ukraine to support the mercenaries.
