In 2024, the Czech Republic continued to actively support Ukraine in its confrontation with russian aggression, providing significant military and humanitarian assistance. Since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, the Czech Republic has provided Ukraine with military assistance worth about €400 million and will continue to support our country in the future.

On July 18, 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala signed an agreement on security cooperation and long-term support between Ukraine and the Czech Republic. A significant part of the agreement is devoted to enhanced cooperation in the military-technical sphere, primarily in the areas of small and large caliber ammunition, small arms and light weapons production capabilities, as well as UAVs, electronic warfare equipment, and heavy machinery.

As part of the Czech Republic-led artillery ammunition initiative, 500,000 pieces of large-caliber ammunition were transferred to Ukraine by the end of 2024, which significantly strengthened the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces. This initiative was funded by NATO allies and will continue in 2025, providing Ukraine with the necessary ammunition.

In addition, the Czech Republic has been actively involved in training Ukrainian military personnel. In 2024, 1,700 Ukrainian defenders were trained, which demonstrates the successful cooperation between Ukraine and the Czech Republic in the military sphere.

In addition, Czech President Petr Pavel issued 40 official permits for Czech citizens to participate in hostilities on the side of Ukraine in 2024, which is twice as many as in the previous year.

In addition to official strategic assistance from the Czech authorities, there are many private initiatives in the country that engage investors and ordinary citizens by organizing fundraisers for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other humanitarian missions. One such initiative, Group D, recently reported that it had raised CZK 144 million (approximately €5.5 million) for 14,500 FPV drones for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A total of 31 thousand donors took part in the fundraiser. Previously, Czech private initiatives, such as Dárek pro Putina (Gift for Putin), held a large fundraiser for the tank “Tomas” and the American helicopter “Black Hawk”.

In 2024, the Czech Republic actively supported the Dnipropetrovsk region by implementing humanitarian and infrastructure initiatives. Thanks to the assistance of Czech Deputy Minister of Health Radek Policar and Czech medical equipment manufacturers, Marhanets Hospital received modern equipment and furniture worth €400 thousand. The donated equipment includes an operating table for complex surgical interventions, obstetrics and gynecology devices, an ultrasound scanner, medical tablets for family doctors, etc. Representatives of Czech companies also conducted training for Ukrainian doctors, familiarizing them with the capabilities of the new equipment. In addition, educational institutions in the region received 27 generators with a capacity of 3.1 to 120 kW.

The Czech government donated a resuscitation vehicle equipped with everything needed to help 13 seriously ill patients at once to the Dnipropetrovsk Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine. The cost of this specialized vehicle exceeded €326 thousand.

In addition, the Czech side has provided 500 gas heaters and the same number of cylinders for IDPs, families of fallen soldiers, large families, and to equip school shelters and resilience centers in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

The Czech Government also supported the launch of a water treatment plant in the Shyrokivska community. The Czech partners purchased, transported and installed the necessary equipment, and trained 20 specialists who will be responsible for its maintenance.

The Czech gas transportation company GasNet Sluzby, transferred five cargoes of humanitarian aid weighing more than 20 tons. The aid included gas equipment delivered to companies in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia regions to help maintain critical infrastructure facilities.

Supporting the initiative of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the international model of regional recovery, the Czech Republic is actively developing cooperation with Dnipropetrovsk region. In 2024, the region’s in-depth cooperation with the Czech Republic continued, primarily in the priority areas of healthcare, water supply and sewerage, education, and economic cooperation.

The Czech Republic continues to be an important trading partner of Dnipropetrovsk region. The high level of partnership is demonstrated by the bilateral analysis of foreign activities. Czech companies are most interested in ores, ferrous metals and products thereof, parts of railway equipment, etc.

According to the results of 2024, the volume of exports of goods from Dnipropetrovsk region amounted to $212.5 million and decreased by 37.1% compared to 2023. The share of the region’s exports to the Czech Republic is 23.1% of Ukraine’s exports to the Czech Republic.

More than 100 companies in the Dnipropetrovsk region exported their products to the Czech market, including mining and metallurgical enterprises, machine-building, processing and agricultural companies.

Imports of goods from the Czech Republic to Dnipropetrovsk region increased by 18.3% compared to 2023 and amounted to $90.1 million.

More than 250 importing companies in the region bought machinery and equipment, plastics and polymeric materials, ferrous metal products, etc.

Import operations were mainly carried out by food and processing companies, trade and pharmaceutical companies.

Source: information for the article was taken from open online sources