Status: 03/17/2023 2:33 p.m
Another NATO member supports Ukraine with fighter jets: The Slovakian government announced that it would hand over 13 decommissioned MiG-29s. The Kremlin has already threatened to destroy the planes.
After Poland, Slovakia also wants to deliver its remaining Soviet MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Prime Minister Eduard Heger announced that 13 jets were no longer used by the Slovakian Air Force. With the decision, Slovakia is on the right side of history, Heger said at a press conference.
The head of government wrote on Twitter that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had asked for the MiGs and had promised them: “Promises must be kept”. Military aid is the key to enabling Ukraine to “defend itself and all of Europe against Russia.”
Compensation between the EU and the USA
Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said Slovakia would receive €200 million in compensation from the European Union and €700 million in unspecified weapons from the US.
Slovakia has not used its MiGs since last summer due to a lack of spare parts and experienced maintenance technicians after Russian specialists returned to their homeland. Because of the failure, the country is currently unable to monitor its airspace itself – the NATO partners are taking care of that. The government in Bratislava has already ordered 14 F-16 fighter jets in the USA, but these are not expected to be delivered until early 2024.
Soviet-era machines
Slovakia is the second NATO country to accede to Ukraine’s request for fighter jets to defend against Russia. On Thursday, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced that he would also deliver four MiG-29s to Ukraine in the coming days. More were to follow later, which would have to be serviced first. Ultimately, Poland also wants to hand over a dozen aircraft to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force still uses the machines from the Soviet era and knows them well. So there is no need for extensive training with the MiG-29.
NATO alliance still hesitant
For months, the government in Kiev has been demanding not only tanks and artillery but also combat aircraft from the NATO alliance in order to be able to recapture the areas occupied by Russia. So far, there have been no commitments from other states, especially for the western-style F-16s requested by Kiev.
Ukraine justifies its demands by saying that the planes are necessary, among other things, to defend itself against Russian missile attacks. After Poland’s decision, NATO members such as the USA and Germany ruled out supplying their own fighter jets. They fear that the war in Ukraine could then spread.
Kremlin: Equipment is destroyed
Russia reacted irritably to Slovakia’s announcement. “This is just one more example of how a number of NATO member countries are increasing their direct involvement in the conflict,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the Interfax news agency.
“The delivery of this military equipment, as we have repeated many times, will not affect the outcome of the military special operation,” said Peskov. “Of course, this equipment will be destroyed.”