Czech news in brief for June 20: Saturday's top morning headlines

It’s Saturday morning in Czechia, and the country is already heating up again after a record-breaking day yesterday, with more heat and possible thunderstorms on the way.

Defense exports and Ukraine policy are back in focus, with a push for European funding of Czech-made Skyfox training jets. At home, public media tensions are escalating, with a strike looming for Monday and supporters planning to show solidarity by wearing black.

Here are your Saturday morning headlines.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš wants European countries that supplied Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets to help finance the purchase of 10 Czech L-39NG Skyfox training aircraft, according to a report by the Ukrainian Defense Express portal. The aircraft would support both pilot training and drone defense.

Tech export: The proposal targets Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium. The deal is estimated at CZK 5.3–6.3 billion, with deliveries unlikely before 2028–2029. The Skyfox, produced by Aero Vodochody, is a modernized version of the L-39 Albatros and has recently been exported to Vietnam and Hungary.

Supporters of Czech Television and Czech Radio employees are being urged to wear black on Monday in solidarity with a one-day warning strike against the government’s planned overhaul of public media funding. Organizers say the proposal threatens the independence of the country’s public broadcasters.

Battle for public media: The strike is expected to disrupt programming across most Czech Television and Czech Radio channels, except children's broadcasts. Employees argue the funding changes would dismantle the current financing system and undermine editorial independence.

Culture Minister Oto Klempíř says he will seek nearly CZK 21 billion for his ministry in the 2027 state budget, up from CZK 17.6 billion this year. Funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio would be added separately under the ministry's budget.

Key details: The proposal follows the government's plan to finance public broadcasters from the state budget instead of license fees. Czech Television says the change could reduce its funding by CZK 1.75 billion next year, a figure Klempíř said he would review.

A 74-year-old German man who went missing for two days in Bohemian Switzerland was found exhausted inside a cave near Dravčí skály after a large search operation involving police, firefighters and park rangers. The man had called emergency services after getting lost and was unable to continue walking.

What we know: Rescuers used GPS coordinates provided by the hiker and deployed drones and ground teams across a four-square-kilometer area of difficult terrain. He was found uninjured but severely fatigued, given water and transported by firefighters before being handed over to German authorities.

Temperatures in Czechia reached record highs at 18 meteorological stations on Friday, with highs up to 36 degrees Celsius, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. The hottest readings were recorded in Doksany, Domažlice, and parts of southern Moravia during an ongoing heatwave.

Weekend forecast: Meteorologists warn that temperatures will remain between 31–36 degrees over the weekend, with strong thunderstorms expected in the afternoons and evenings. Heavy rain, hail, and strong winds could cause local flooding and disruption, especially in Bohemia.