The Czech Army is losing experienced soldiers due to a significant number of desertions, according to Defense Minister Jana Černochová. During a Senate debate on a bill aimed at increasing benefits for new recruits and reducing desertions, Černochová mentioned that the war in Ukraine was a reason for some soldiers to leave the military.
In a statement to the online news portal Novinky, Černochová said that speculations about future military deployments had unsettled some soldiers, leading them to leave the service. “Given the social climate, in which various observers have been threatening a mobilization and claiming that soldiers will be sent to Ukraine, this was the reason for some to take off their uniform” she said.
However, a former military psychologist, Daniel Strobl, disputed Černochová’s interpretation. In his opinion, it is good that soldiers left the service if they were not willing to fight for their country. Strobl believes that the real reason for the desertions is the lack of international missions like in Afghanistan.
Černochová, on the other hand, based her claims on confidential conversations with soldiers, saying that she has been speaking privately with soldiers for many years and knows that some indeed thought and still think in this way. She acknowledged, however, that it is difficult to determine the exact motives for the desertions, as soldiers often do not openly disclose them.
Meanwhile, Czech President Petr Pavel has signalled the country’s readiness to participate in an international deployment to Ukraine, but only in the form of peacekeeping troops in the event of a ceasefire between Kiev and Moscow. Moscow, however, firmly rejects the presence of Western military forces in Ukraine and warns that unauthorized foreign troops will be considered legitimate military targets, with Russian forces frequently targeting foreign mercenaries fighting on the Ukrainian side.