27-year-old Czech volunteer fighter Jirka Kotrla killed fighting for Ukraine. PHOTO
A 27-year-old Czech citizen, Jirka Kotrla, who had been listed as missing in action, was killed in fighting against Russian occupiers near Izium in Kharkiv region.
As reported by Censor.NET, the news was confirmed by Czech outlets iRozhlas and ČT24.
What is known
Kotrla studied stone carving at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Uherské Hradiště.
School principal Ivo Savara said the young man remained at the school until his third year in 2019, after which he left.
"Last week, we were struck by sad news. On the Ukrainian front near Izium, our former student from the stone carving programme, Jirka K., was killed. He was 27 years old. Eternal memory to him," the school said in a statement.
The homeroom teacher of the fallen soldier said he "was artistically gifted, had a great eye for detail, was diligent, could work on a task for a very long time, immersed himself in it deeply and took everything seriously."
"I don’t always immediately remember all my students, but I remember him very clearly. He was rather reserved and had his own circle of friends. When I found out he was fighting in Ukraine, at first it surprised me, but then I recalled how sharply he reacted to injustice and how he always sought the truth," she said.
Kotrla's works, which he created during his studies, will be given to his mother.
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would not comment on the details, but assured that it was aware of "the case of a Czech citizen who is considered missing." The ministry is currently in contact with the family.
How many Czechs have died in Ukraine
Kotrla is considered the fifth Czech to have died in the war in Ukraine.
- The first Czech died in battles with the Russian army in Donbas in June 2022, the second in March 2023, and the third, a Czech medic and founder of the Phoenix project, in May. In addition, a Czech volunteer fighter was also killed in February 2024 in the battles for Avdiivka.
