Czech news in brief for May 4: Sunday's top headlines

Sending foreign troops to Ukraine is not possible before a peace agreement is reached, Czech President Petr Pavel said Sunday after meeting President Zelenskyy in Prague. He said current efforts focus on political, diplomatic, and military guarantees. Pavel responded to French-led discussions on future troop deployments, saying such talks remain premature and far from implementation.

Ukraine could receive up to 1.8 million rounds of large-caliber ammunition by the end of 2025 under the Czech-led initiative, President Petr Pavel said Sunday. Talks on deliveries for 2026 are also underway, with 11 countries backing the effort. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy praised the program during a press briefing with Pavel.

Czechia and Ukraine will sign a memorandum on mental health cooperation during President Zelenskyy’s visit to Prague, Health Minister Vlastimil Válek said Sunday. The deal includes sharing expertise in telemedicine and treating war trauma, with EU funding for Ukrainian hospital upgrades. Válek said both countries will benefit, especially as Czechia faces a shortage of child psychiatrists and psychologists.

Ethiopians Lemi Berhanu and Bertukan Welde won the 2025 Prague Marathon in the men's and women's competitions, respectively. Berhanu defended his title in 2:05:14, the second-fastest time in event history. Welde, just 20, won in 2:20:55. Czech national titles went to Yann Havlena (2:21:12) and Tereza Hrochová (2:34:04). Havlena collapsed at the finish but held on to win, while Olympian Hrochová cruised to victory in her Prague Marathon debut.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena arrived in Prague Saturday to meet Czech President Petr Pavel and other officials. Talks will focus on defense aid, including the Czech ammunition initiative, pilot training, and reconstruction. Zelenskyy will also meet lawmakers, students, and the Ukrainian community. His wife will also attend a healthcare conference.

A rubber boat carrying three men collided with a moored vessel near Hradištko-Pikovice in Prague-West last night, causing two men to fall into the Sázava River. One was rescued by a quick-thinking sailor, but the second, a 32-year-old, remains missing. Search efforts involving over 20 rescuers, including divers and police, continued overnight. The search is set to resume today, with authorities investigating the incident further.

On Sunday morning, a group of deer caused a traffic halt on the D3 highway in both directions near Český Krumlov. The highway was closed between kilometers 151 and 159, close to Krasejovka. Visibility was reduced due to fog, and authorities struggled to move the animals off the road. The closure did not cause significant delays due to light traffic. Police, alongside road maintenance workers, worked to clear the highway.

Temperatures hit 31 degrees Celsius in Dyjákovice on Saturday, marking Czechia’s first day with temperatures over 30 degrees of 2025, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. Nine weather stations in South Moravia broke temperature records for May 3. Bohemia was hit by strong storms in some areas. Cooler, wetter weather is expected Sunday, with highs between 17–20 degrees Celsius.

A German couple was struck by lightning in Tisá, in Czechia's Ústí region, on Saturday afternoon during a storm. The man sustained serious injuries and was taken to a trauma center in Ústí nad Labem, while the woman suffered moderate burns. Firefighters responded to five storm-related incidents in the region, mainly involving fallen trees and water accumulation.

Czech President Petr Pavel will receive a foreign head of state at Prague Castle this afternoon, though Castle officials have yet to confirm who it is. According to media reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to arrive in Prague. Public access to Prague Castle will be restricted from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Zelenskyy last visited in July 2023, and Pavel visited Ukraine in March this year.

Poland wants to finalize talks with Czechia over 368 hectares of land mistakenly retained after a 1958 border treaty, the Polish daily Fakt reported Saturday. The land, spread across five Czech regions, has been disputed since the 1950s. A bilateral commission first addressed the issue in 1992. Poland aims to resume expert-level consultations, though Czech elections this fall may delay a deal, officials warned.

The Prague Marathon begins at 9 a.m. this morning from Old Town Square, causing major traffic and tram service restrictions across central districts. Roads along the Vltava, including bridges and key streets in Prague 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8, will be closed. Metro service will be reinforced. Czech runner Tereza Hrochová will compete at the marathon for the first time after running at Olympic events in 2020 and 2024.

Twelve firefighting units responded to a large fire at an agricultural firm in Žákava, in Czechia's Pilsen Region, on Saturday afternoon. The blaze involved a pile of tires, producing thick black smoke visible from afar. Authorities declared the second-highest fire alert level. A drone and chemical lab were deployed; air quality checks in nearby villages showed no hazardous levels. Firefighters brought the fire under control shortly after 4 p.m.

The Czech Foreign Ministry is working with expatriates to promote postal voting ahead of this fall's general elections, it said Friday. Over 600,000 Czechs live abroad, and this is the first time they can vote by mail. Compatriots worldwide, including public figures like Alena Šeredová and Eva Jiřičná, are helping share information through embassy-backed videos. Voters must register on embassy lists at least 40 days before election day.

The Czech Health Ministry plans to tighten criteria for recognizing Covid-19 as an occupational disease, citing unsustainable costs and mild cases, it said Friday. Covid currently accounts for nearly 88% of such cases. The ministry also aims to expand asbestos-linked cancers on the list of recognized illnesses. Digestive tract cancers will join lung, larynx, and ovarian cancer as diseases caused by long-term asbestos exposure, per updated EU guidelines.