Key facts
- Macinka said funding had already been secured for the first four aircraft.
- Deliveries depend on export licenses for components and avionics from Belgium, France and the United States.
- Macinka said the proposed deal is valued at 6 to 8 billion Czech crowns ($272 million to $363 million).
- Macinka said no money from the Czech budget is being allocated and the manufacturer agreed to give Ukraine's order priority.
- Havlicek said four aircraft had been agreed and a preliminary agreement reached on another 12.
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said in an interview on Czech television on November 13, 2026 that Czechia could deliver the first four L-39 Skyfox aircraft to Ukraine in 2027, with another eight expected in 2028. He said funding had already been secured for the first four.
Macinka said he negotiated personally with the Aero Vodochody plant, which makes the Skyfox, to ensure the aircraft are manufactured for Ukraine as a priority. He said no money from the Czech budget is being allocated and that Czechia had simply agreed with the manufacturer to give Ukraine's order priority. Deliveries remain dependent on export licenses for certain foreign-made components and avionics, including equipment from Belgium, France and the United States.
Macinka put the proposed deal at 6 to 8 billion Czech crowns ($272 million to $363 million), to be financed through international funding. In July, he said, Czechia and Ukraine approached 12 countries, including Australia, Canada and 10 European states, to help finance another 12 aircraft.
The L-39 Skyfox is a subsonic jet primarily designed for military pilot training that can also carry out light attack, reconnaissance and aerial patrol missions. Ukraine is seeking more affordable ways to intercept Russian attack drones, which Moscow regularly launches against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
On November 11, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek discussed the potential purchase of 16 Skyfox aircraft with Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi during a visit to Kyiv. Havlicek said four aircraft had already been agreed, while a preliminary agreement had been reached concerning another 12. The talks follow an earlier proposal to supply Ukraine with Czech L-159 light combat aircraft to counter Russian drones; Prague rejected transferring or selling those jets from its military inventory in January, citing the needs of the Czech armed forces.