Chief of Staff of the Czech Army: The war in Ukraine is already "yesterday's war"

The Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, Karel Řehka, has said that the war in Ukraine has already become a "war of the past," as battlefield technology and tactics are evolving so rapidly that lessons learned just two weeks ago can already be outdated today. The general made the remarks in an interview, answering questions about cooperation between the Czech army and Ukrainian forces and about the country's future armed forces development concept through 2040.

According to Řehka, the Czech military is drawing on Ukraine's experience in defending against drones and strengthening air defense, but must also look ahead: "We must not remain deaf, blind and mute," he said, explaining the need for a constant flow of information from the battlefield. He stressed that as soon as one side introduces a new weapons system or an improved drone, the enemy quickly finds a countermeasure — and the Czech army must respond to new threats just as fast, within weeks or at most months, not years.

Support for Ukraine and NATO guarantees

Commenting on the current government's decision to limit aid to Ukraine, Řehka said that Ukraine's successful defense is in the security interests of the Czech Republic, describing Czech support since the start of Russian aggression as "quite significant" — both from the state as a whole and from the armed forces. He also voiced full confidence that NATO allies would come to the Czech Republic's aid if attacked, calling the principle of "one for all, all for one" fundamental to the alliance.

The general declined to comment on why Defence Minister Jaroslav Zuna (SPD) blocked his planned trip to the YES security conference in Kyiv, saying he would not discuss his internal correspondence with the minister.

Army priorities through 2040

The forthcoming concept for armed forces development through 2040 will reflect his personal priorities as Chief of the General Staff, Řehka said: strengthening air defense, completing the formation of a heavy brigade, beginning modernization of a medium brigade, recruiting new personnel, adopting modern technology, and digitalization. At the same time, he noted, the document is meant to describe how the army should develop in the coming years to be capable of defending the Czech Republic — not merely to list the general's personal preferences.

He pointed out that modernization is not just about buying equipment such as F-35 fighter jets or CV90 tracked combat vehicles for the heavy brigade — what matters is the coherence of all elements: combat equipment, logistics, command, training and personnel, as well as state readiness and legislation that allows threats to be addressed even in peacetime.

Asked about Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's government plans to spend around two percent of GDP on defense in the coming years — against the alliance's target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035 — Řehka said it is already clear that air defense will be strengthened and a drone-defense system will be built around the country's key sites. However, he added, "that two percent is a minimum," and the army needs more funding to make up for decades of underinvestment.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz