Czech army surpasses annual recruitment goal

The Czech army has recruited almost 2,500 new professional soldiers since January, exceeding its 2025 target of 2,100, the Ministry of Defence announced. The army now has over 28,000 professional soldiers and aims to reach 30,000 within five years, along with 10,000 members of active reserves. Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka and outgoing Defence Minister Jana Černochová of the Civic Democrats (ODS) have repeatedly highlighted personnel shortages in recent years. Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s government has responded by raising both recruitment bonuses and soldiers’ salaries.