On 30 September 2026, at its 30th session, the Senate of the Czech Republic approved a proposal on foreign military missions that reduces the maximum number of soldiers sent to defend NATO's eastern flank by 400, to 1,600, over the next two years. It was the last session of the Senate in its pre-election composition. In previous years the number of soldiers had instead been increasing in connection with Russian aggression against Ukraine. The military missions must also be approved by the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, whose defence committee has already backed the proposal.[1][2]*
Justification from the Ministry of Defence
Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna (for SPD) justified the reduction by citing savings and the fact that the maximum number of deployed soldiers had not been reached in the past. Zůna said that, by contrast, the number of soldiers assigned to NATO forces would increase, so the overall Czech contribution to deterrence would actually grow. The government stated that in May 2026 a total of 427 Czech soldiers were deployed in Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. The proposal also allows for possible deployment in Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and, newly, Finland, depending on the alliance's needs.[1][2]
Criticism from the Senate
The chairman of the Senate's defence committee, Pavel Fischer (for TOP 09), expressed concern over the reduction given the policy of deterrence, which aims to prevent any potential aggression. Fischer also objected that the proposal fails to identify Russia as the aggressor and Ukraine as the victim. When asked when he, as defence minister, would travel to Ukraine, Zůna did not answer, pointing instead to other trips, and said that contact with the Ukrainian side was on the agenda of meetings of EU and NATO defence ministers.[1][2]
Other Changes to the Missions
According to the military mission plan, up to 2,666 Czech soldiers could serve abroad in 2025, and up to 2,571 in 2026. Next year the number should be 2,091, and 2,066 the year after that. The government estimated the costs of foreign operations at a maximum of CZK 2.542 billion in 2027 and CZK 2.437 billion in 2028, while the costs of deploying soldiers in 2025 and 2026 were put at a total of CZK 4.3 billion.[1]
The number of soldiers involved in training Ukrainian fighters outside the EU is to increase from 40 to 60, while the number of Ukrainian fighters trained directly in the Czech Republic will fall from 800 to a maximum of 100; in 2025, 564 Ukrainian soldiers were trained in the Czech Republic. The number of soldiers protecting the diplomatic mission in Ukraine is to increase from 20 to 30. The number of soldiers in the KFOR mission in Kosovo is to decrease from 50 to 25, and in the EUFOR Althea mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 200 to 15 by 2028. The number of soldiers in the NATO mission in Iraq and Kuwait is also to be halved from 20, while the number of military instructors in Mauritania and Kenya is to increase from 30 to 50 in each country. The proposal further allows for the presence of up to 2,000 soldiers from NATO member states on Czech territory.[1][2]
Chronology
- — The Senate approved reducing the number of Czech soldiers deployed to defend NATO's eastern flank. ČTK / České noviny iROZHLAS
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 30 September 2026
- FORUM 24 — 30 September 2026