On July 16, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olexandr Mischenko held a meeting with a Czech delegation led by Aleš Vitečka, Director of the Intergovernmental Agency for Defense Cooperation (AMOS) of the Czech Republic.

The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss key areas of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and the Czech Republic in the fields of defense and security, as well as to review the progress of the Czech Artillery Initiative.

At the beginning of the meeting, Olexandr Mischenko expressed his gratitude to the Czech Republic for its comprehensive support of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, particularly for military aid, political and diplomatic support within the framework of international organizations and initiatives, as well as for humanitarian aid. In particular, the Deputy Minister specifically highlighted the contribution of Czech civil society, which consistently supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukrainian residents in frontline regions.

During the meeting, the parties paid special attention to the need to further strengthen Ukraine’s air defense system, especially in light of the ongoing massive missile and drone attacks by Russian forces on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and peaceful settlements, and emphasized the importance of maintaining close coordination of actions within international cooperation frameworks.

Representatives of the Czech Republic confirmed their readiness to continue supporting the implementation of the Czech “ammunition initiative”, while noting that, to ensure its long-term and effective operation, it is necessary to more actively involve international partners in financing the project. In particular, at this stage, the priority area for implementing the initiative is supplying Ukraine with long-range 155-mm “Extended Range” artillery ammunition, which is a key element in strengthening the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Special attention was given to the prospects for developing cooperation between the defense industries of both countries, which have significant potential for expanding their strategic partnership and implementing mutually beneficial projects in the field of defense production and technology. The parties also focused on the prospects for supplying Ukraine with modern products from the Czech defense industry, in particular combat aircraft equipped and specially adapted to combat Russian strike drones.