--- title: "Czech Republic Preliminarily Agrees to Transfer 16 L-39 Skyfox Aircraft to Ukraine for Drone Interception" description: "The Czech Republic has preliminarily agreed to transfer 16 L-39 Skyfox combat training aircraft to Ukraine: four aircraft are already confirmed, and another 12 are under a preliminary agreement. The aviation is planned to be used for drone interception." date: 2026-11-12T00:04:29.867Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/czech-republic-to-transfer-16-l-39-skyfox-aircraft-to-ukraine tags: [czechia, ukraine, l-39-skyfox, military-aid, defense, drones] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Czech Republic Preliminarily Agrees to Transfer 16 L-39 Skyfox Aircraft to Ukraine for Drone Interception ![Military aircraft in flight releasing flares in the sky](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/chekhiya-pereidaet-ukraine-16-samoletov-l-39-skyfox/chekhiya-pereidaet-ukraine-16-samoletov-l-39-skyfox-1.webp) ## Key Points - The Czech Republic has preliminarily agreed to transfer 16 L-39 Skyfox aircraft to Ukraine: 4 confirmed, 12 under preliminary agreement. - The aircraft are planned to be used to intercept drones, including jet-powered ones. - Prague previously refused to transfer L-159s, offering L-39NG Skyfox as an alternative. - During the visit, a memorandum of cooperation in nuclear and renewable energy was signed, and gas production was discussed. 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. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Украина может получить от Чехии 16 самолетов L-39 Skyfox для сбивания дронов](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-mozhe-otrimati-vid-chehiyi-16-litakiv-1794441514.html) - Primary source: quote from Czech Deputy Prime Minister K. Havlíček about 4 confirmed and 12 preliminarily agreed aircraft, the goal is shooting down drones. - [Украина может получить 16 самолетов из Чехии: ими планируют охотиться на российские реактивные ...](https://tsn.ua/ru/zbroya/ukraina-mozhet-poluchit-16-samoletov-iz-chehii-imi-planiruyut-ohotitsya-na-rossiyskie-reaktivnye-drony-3214319.html) - Confirms the quantity of 16 machines and their purpose for countering jet UAVs; mentions the refusal of L-159s. - [Чехия приостановила передачу Украине самолетов L-159 для борьбы с шахедами](https://korrespondent.net/world/4917265-chekhyia-pryostanovyla-peredachu-ukrayne-samoletov-L-159-dlia-borby-s-shakhedamy) - Context: refusal of L-159s in early 2026, offering L-39NG Skyfox; as of October, there is no public information about placing an order. - [В Чехии "сняли с повестки" дня вопрос передачи Украине самолетов L-159](https://mignews.com/news/politic/v-chehii-zayavili-chto-vopros-o-peredache-ukraine-samoletov-l-159-zakryt.html) - Czech Chief of General Staff M. Hlaváč confirmed that the issue of transferring L-159s is off the agenda. ## FAQ ### How many L-39 Skyfox aircraft will the Czech Republic transfer to Ukraine? We are talking about 16 machines: four previously confirmed, and another 12 under a preliminary agreement, as stated by Czech Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček. ### What are these aircraft intended for? They are planned to be used to shoot down drones, primarily jet-powered ones. ### Why are L-159s not being transferred? In January 2026, Prague refused to transfer L-159s, citing their necessity for the Czech armed forces, and offered L-39NG Skyfox as an alternative.