Czech Republic to Provide Ukraine with Attack Helicopters and Flight Simulator for F-16 Pilot Training
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, announced during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Prague that the Czech Republic will provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with attack helicopters, ammunition, and will also participate in the program to train pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
"Today, I confirmed to President Zelensky that the Czech Republic will donate attack helicopters and, in the coming months, an additional 100,000 rounds of ammunition for heavy-caliber weapons," said Fiala.
In addition, the Czech Republic will transfer a flight simulator to Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian aviators to undergo a specialized training course.
The Czech Air Force already possesses Mi-24V and Mi-35 attack helicopters, as well as multi-purpose aircraft such as Mi-171Sh, Mi-17, and Mi-8. They also have 38 Polish helicopters, including PZL Mi-2 and PZL W-3 Sokół.
Prior to this announcement, the Czech military had already transferred 12 Mi-24D helicopters to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Prime Minister did not provide specific details regarding the transfer of ammunition. However, he emphasized that during the course of the conflict, the Czech Republic has already provided over 700 units of heavy equipment and more than four million rounds of ammunition to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Czech Republic on June 6, following his visit to Bulgaria. He had already held talks with Czech President Petr Pavel. After the meeting, Zelensky stated that a clear invitation for Ukraine's future membership in NATO at the Vilnius Summit would be a significant demonstration of the Alliance's boldness and strength.
"We simply need an invitation. We understand that there may be difficulties with certain formulations to obtain the united support of all partners in the Alliance. Some are still looking towards Moscow, while others fear Russia. However, I believe this is a momentous opportunity to demonstrate the boldness and strength of the entire Alliance," Zelensky emphasized.
The President also noted that several important issues related to defense support packages would be discussed on the sidelines of the Vilnius Summit.