Polish Defense Minister: 10 MiG-29 fighter jets already provided to Ukraine

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak confirmed during a state visit to Canada on May 8 that his country has already provided ten MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, news outlet Defence24 reported.

Previously, it was known that Poland had provided eight fighter jets in its arsenal to Ukraine.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said during a press conference on April 14 that Poland would transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine 'gradually' while Poland waited for their own air fleet to be replenished by NATO aircraft.

Duda also suggested earlier in April that Poland might be willing to supply its entire fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine once the Polish Air Force acquires new aircraft to offset the loss.

On April 13, the Slovak Defense Ministry confirmed the transfer of an additional 13 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government has repeatedly made appeals to Western allies to provide modern fighter jets, arguing that air supremacy is necessary to aid its soldiers on the battlefield.

While acknowledging the MiG-29 transfer as a major help, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said that the Soviet-era fighter jets are "unlikely to be a game-changer at the front."

Critics argue that allies’ reluctance to supply F-16, Typhoon, and Dassault fighter jets and long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine will prevent Kyiv from launching a counteroffensive and liberating the rest of Ukrainian territory.

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Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in our op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began almost a year ago, the issue of Ukraine’s very existence and survival came to

Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov