During 2024, Czech President Petr Pavel granted 40 permits to participate in the war with Russia on the side of Ukraine, and another 74 requests were rejected.
This is reported by the Czech broadcaster iROZHLAS.
In total, the head of state considered 114 requests over the year, three of which came from women — they were admitted to the defense of Ukraine. Five people applied again.
Czech law prohibits citizens from serving in foreign armed forces, so the only way to join another countryʼs military is to obtain special permission from the president.
Most often, those who wanted to were refused based on the conclusions of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Convicted persons and employees of law enforcement agencies are not allowed to fight in Ukraine. However, those who have dual citizenship or want to serve in one of the NATO armies can obtain permission.
Compared to 2023, the interest of Czech citizens in participating in the defense of Ukraine has increased, the publication writes. Since the start of the full-scale war, 667 requests have been received from citizens. The previous president Miloš Zeman approved the applications of 132 people.
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