On 11 January, Polish border guards detained a 15-year-old schoolboy from the Czech Republic who was on his way to fight against Russia on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Czech teenager runs away from parents to defend Ukraine at the front
According to the Border Guard Directorate in Polish Upper Silesia, a Czech teenager left home on 10 January and told his parents that he was going to school, but he never showed up there.
Instead, the 15-year-old boy began to travel alone to the border with Ukraine to join the Armed Forces and support the country in its fight against the Russian occupiers.
The parents reported the child's disappearance to the police, and law enforcement officers began searching for the teenager. The Czech police passed the information about the boy to their Polish colleagues.
Using the location of the boy's phone, Polish police found that he was in Przemysl, Poland, near the border with Ukraine.
When the teenager ran away from home, he took his passport with him and managed to cross the Polish-Ukrainian border to fight the Russian aggressors.
Thanks to the quick actions of the officers of the Silesian Border Guard and excellent international cooperation, the 15-year-old Czech was immediately taken to the territory of Poland. He is now returning home," the statement reads.
Czechs join the Armed Forces of Ukraine
As of 29 July 2023, Czech President Petr Pavel signed 14 positive decisions on the consent of Czech citizens to join the AFU.
In total, 146 Czechs received the President's consent to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Former Czech President Milos Zeman signed 132 consents to participate in combat operations on the side of Ukraine.
