Czech Republic to reduce troop presence on NATO's eastern flank

The Czech government is proposing to reduce the maximum number of troops it can deploy to NATO's eastern flank over the next two years, lowering the limit from 2,000 to 1,600 personnel.

The change is included in a draft bill on foreign military missions submitted to parliament, Caliber.Az reports, citing Czech media.

The proposal does not specify a reason for the reduction. However, the Ministry of Defence previously told iROZHLAS.cz that the lower cap is linked to budget constraints and the fact that the previous maximum had never been fully utilised.

The deployment limit for NATO's eastern flank was increased in recent years in response to Russia's war against Ukraine.

In May, 427 Czech troops were stationed in Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Under the new framework, Czech forces could also be deployed to Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and, for the first time, Finland, depending on NATO's requirements.

The proposal comes as European countries continue to monitor security threats linked to Russia's war against Ukraine and potential hybrid attacks. In Germany, authorities are investigating after a drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

The incident disrupted airport operations and raised security concerns, although no link to any specific actor has been established.

The draft would also reduce the number of Ukrainian soldiers allowed to train in the Czech Republic from 800 to 100. The government said the change reflects a declining need for training capacity after 564 Ukrainian troops were trained in the country last year.

At the same time, some Czech military activities abroad would be expanded. The number of Czech troops training Ukrainian forces outside the EU would increase from 40 to 60, while the limit for training missions within EU countries would remain at 100. The number of Czech personnel assigned to protect diplomatic missions in Ukraine would rise from 20 to 30.

The proposal would also scale back Czech participation in several other overseas missions. The country's contribution to the KFOR mission in Kosovo would be reduced from 50 to 25 troops by 2028, while its contingent in the EUFOR Althea mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina would shrink from 200 to 15 personnel. Meanwhile, the number of Czech military instructors in Kenya and Mauritania would increase from 30 to 50 in each country.

The Senate's defence committee is scheduled to discuss the draft next week. The government estimates the cost of foreign military operations at up to CZK 2.542 billion ($120.7 billion) next year and CZK 2.437 billion ($115.8 billion) in 2028.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov