Czech Army recruits 1,400 soldiers this year, plans further expansion

The Czech Army has recruited around 1,400 new soldiers since the start of the year and is on track to meet its target of 1,800 professional troops and 450 active reservists by the end of 2026. Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna, Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka and his designated successor Miroslav Hlaváč announced the figures on Saturday at Bahna Day, the Czech Army's annual ground forces event near Strašice in western Bohemia.

The army currently has around 25,000 professional soldiers and 5,500 members of the active reserve. Military leaders said recruitment has improved in recent years while efforts to reduce the number of soldiers leaving the service have also been successful. The Defence Ministry is expanding training capacity to accommodate growing numbers of recruits.

Army officials said troop numbers will need to continue rising in response to the current security situation. Under long-term development plans, annual recruitment could eventually increase to around 3,000 professional soldiers a year.