In fact, the Czech Republic immediately switched from transferring all available weapons (tanks, air defence systems, artillery, MLRS, Mi-24 helicopters) to fulfilling direct orders for Ukraine. At the same time, the country's Ministry of Defense does not prevent the export of weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Czech Republic helps Ukraine with weapons
Arms exports to Ukraine from the Czech Republic already amount to $2.25 billion, and current permits for commercial supplies amount to another $2.9 billion.
This was reported by the chief of the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic, Jana Chernokhova, at a government briefing, local publication CeskeNovisaysrts.
And we are talking about commercial contracts at a time when Prague's transfer of weapons in the form of aid was not made public in principle. As Yana Chernokhova noted in March 2022, this will not help Putin. All that is known is a public report from November 2023 on the transfer of weapons from the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic for only 43 million dollars. It was also a statement from the head of the department about the supply of military equipment and weapons since the beginning of the war for 270 million dollars without specification.
The Czech Republic immediately switched from transferring all available weapons, including tanks, air defence systems, artillery, MLRS and even Mi-24 helicopters, to fulfilling direct orders for Ukraine.
At the same time, Yana Chernokhova added that the Ministry of Defense does not create any obstacles to the export of weapons for the Armed Forces, adding to the address of all possible opponents that this gave a significant boost to the defence industry of the Czech Republic.
Thus, Ukraine should receive more from the current contracts with the Czech Republic than from the beginning of their conclusion in 2022. And such cooperation is only expanding. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that sometimes, the execution of defence contracts for Ukraine is carried out with money from other partners.
For example, the Excalibur Army is modernizing the T-72 for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular, under a joint program from the United States and the Netherlands. At Czech enterprises, ammunition is manufactured and supplied within the scope of assistance from the European Union, and other works are underway.
Black Hawk for Ukraine from Czech volunteers
Volunteers were allowed to purchase an American multipurpose Black Hawk helicopter in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic.
The Čestmír helicopter fundraiser is the largest fundraiser for the initiative — this Black Hawk helicopter is one of the few in Eurois in private hands. It will cost more than 100 million kroner.
The machine dates back to the 1980s and was checked by Ukrainian aviation specialists. This is good, and if we agree to it, it will be used by Ukrainian military intelligence for its operations, which wants to deploy it for special events and use it for pilot training, the initiative said, adding that the Ukrainians already have machines of this type.
The twin-engine helicopter being raised can be used in Ukraine for troop transport, evacuation and electronic warfare.
The helicopter will be transported to Ukraine and handed over to Ukrainian intelligence if the amount is collected. As of November 17, more than 3.2 million kroner had been collected.
