The production sites of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group in Záluží u Litvínova and Kralupy nad Vltavou, and their vicinities, will host military exercises of the active reserves of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, “HRADBA 2025”, running between Monday, 17 November, and Friday, 21 November 2025. The training aims to exercise the protection of critical infrastructure. The exercises on the premises of the Litvínov Refinery will bring together soldiers in active reserve from the 151st Land Defence Battalion and professionals from the Regional Military Headquarters in Ústí nad Labem. At the same time, the Kralupy Refinery will host the drill of soldiers from the 121st Land Defence Battalion in active reserve.
The refineries in Litvínov and Kralupy will host activities focused on protecting strategically significant buildings as part of the largest military exercises of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic this year, entitled “HRADBA 2025”. The mock drill involves soldiers from the active reserve of the 151st and 121st battalions of land defence and aims to vet the cooperation among individual components of the integrated rescue system and the general preparedness of the armed and security forces to respond to current security threats.
"The current geopolitical situation in Europe presents us all with a number of economic and, in particular, security challenges. In cooperation with the state administration, we have implemented the Czech Republic's transition to new types of crude oil over the past two years. We are now working together to review the security and military protection of our refineries, which are part of the Czech Republic's critical infrastructure," said Mariusz Wnuk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, commenting on the planned military exercise. He added: "In addition to the Czech Army, we are also actively cooperating with the Czech Police, with whom we are preparing to increase the security of our facilities."
The military exercises at both production sites are coordinated with ORLEN Unipetrol’s management and crisis authorities to ensure employee safety and not restrict production operations. Increased movements of military equipment and personnel are expected around the sites. The drill may also be accompanied by sound and visual effects associated with military manoeuvres. In some cases, vehicles may be delayed at the entrance gates, so it is necessary to allow some time buffer when arriving at and leaving both sites.
More details about the “Hradba 2025” military exercise:
Hradba 2025: Armáda testuje, jak je připravená k obraně ČR | Armáda ČR
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on oil processing and the production, distribution, and sale of fuels and petrochemical products, particularly plastics and fertilizers. It is a major player in all these areas on the Czech and Central European markets. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, and two research centers in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also owns the ORLEN network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs over 6,000 people. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. The prestigious international Top Employer certificate, which the group received in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and a number of national awards confirm the high quality of employee care. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy company in Central Europe.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz