Polish President Andrzej Duda announced this Thursday that Warsaw will deliver an initial batch of four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, in what will be the first such shipment by a NATO member state.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked its Western allies to send fighter jets – though it is mainly looking for modern US-made F-16s – but so far no Western country has committed to giving Kiev jets.
“In the coming days, we will transfer four fully operational aircraft to Ukraine,” Duda said of the Soviet-designed MiG-29s.
The deployment of any fighter jets would mark a crucial development in the conflict and bolster Kiev’s defenses against Russian missile and drone attacks.
Poland is leading efforts to send more equipment to Ukraine and convince the West to follow suit. Duda said Poland currently inherited about a dozen MiG aircraft from the former German Democratic Republic, which are “on the verge” of being sent to Ukraine.
“These MiGs are still in service with the Polish Air Force. They are in their last years of operation, but still fully operational,” he said.
The Polish president also added that the MiGs are “jets that Ukrainian pilots can operate immediately without any additional training”.
A Ukrainian military spokesman said the country was “grateful to our partners”. “MiGs will not solve the problems, we need F-16s. But MiGs will help strengthen our capabilities,” said Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat.
Slovakia is also considering aircraft
There was no immediate comment from Moscow on the Polish decision. But the Kremlin has repeatedly said that Western arms supplies to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict, increase the suffering of Ukrainian citizens and will not affect Russia’s military targets.
Poland’s decision to become the first country to send MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine does not change the US’s decision not to send its own fighters to Kiev, the White House said.
“This doesn’t change our thinking about F16s,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
Last week, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said Poland wants to transfer MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine “as part of a broader coalition of countries”.
Asked about the countries in that coalition, Blaszczak named Slovakia, but added that “of course we are open to others”.
Last year, Poland’s neighbour, Slovakia, said it was willing to talk about sending MiG-29 aircraft to replenish losses in Ukraine’s current stockpiles. However, no final decision has been made yet.
Duda made the Polish announcement after talks with his Czech counterpart Petr Pavel, a former NATO general.
MiGs transferred to Ukraine via Warsaw will be replaced at home by South Korean FA-50s bought by Poland, followed by US F-35s.
The Polish president’s remarks came after the defense minister revealed that Poland’s counterintelligence service had dismantled a Russian espionage network in the country.
Source: DN
