The Czech Republic has preliminarily agreed to transfer 16 L-39 Skyfox combat training aircraft to Ukraine. According to RBC-Ukraine citing the Czech publication iDNES.cz, this was stated by Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček following a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky in Kyiv. According to him, four aircraft were confirmed earlier, and a preliminary agreement has been reached regarding another 12: "Four were confirmed earlier, now it was about another 12, and the preliminary confirmation is that it can work out."

Aviation for Combating Drones

The transferred aircraft are planned to be used to shoot down drones, primarily jet-powered ones. The possibility of such a transfer was previously announced by Czech President Petr Pavel during his visit to Kyiv. Thus, the L-39 Skyfox becomes the primary Czech proposal for strengthening Ukraine's air defense in the low-altitude and high-speed target segment.

From L-159 to L-39NG: How Prague's Position Changed

The issue of transferring Czech aircraft has been discussed since the beginning of the year. In January, Prague refused to transfer L-159 light combat aircraft to Ukraine, citing their necessity for its own armed forces. As an alternative, manufacturer Aero Vodochody offered the more modern L-39NG Skyfox. According to Radio Prague, despite positioning the model as a trainer, it is capable of performing combat missions, making it suitable for drone interception.

Energy and Business Forum

In addition to the military topic, Havlíček, together with Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, opened the Ukrainian-Czech business forum and signed a memorandum of cooperation in nuclear, hydro, and renewable energy. Afterward, the officials visited a nuclear power plant. According to the Czech Deputy Minister, Shmyhal showed him videos of recent attacks on Ukraine's energy sector; Havlíček called the situation serious and stated that Prague is ready to help restore the damaged power transmission system. Separately, the expansion of gas production by Czech companies was discussed: the MND company operates in the Lviv region, and Prague is interested in it obtaining licenses for production in other regions of Ukraine as well.

Largest Delegation

The Czech Deputy Prime Minister arrived in Kyiv with the largest delegation in the history of such visits — about 100 people, mostly businesspeople. Among them are representatives of energy and defense companies, including STV Group, the sole manufacturer of large-caliber ammunition in the Czech Republic. This emphasizes that the visit was aimed at consolidating long-term military-technical and economic cooperation between the two countries.