Poland plans to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine

Poland is working on transferring 6–8 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine from the 14 aircraft currently in service, which are set to be decommissioned by the end of December, Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced.

He noted that Warsaw expects to receive Ukrainian drone technologies in return, Caliber.Az reports, citing RMF24.

The final decision on the transfer is expected to be discussed during an upcoming visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Warsaw.

“We should bring this matter to a close. Since the MiGs are being phased out, we should still put them to good use,” the minister said.

The MiG-29 is a Soviet-designed twin-engine multirole fighter developed in the 1970s for air superiority and first deployed in the early 1980s, valued for agility, speed, and versatility in both air-to-air and limited ground-attack roles.

Poland acquired MiG-29s after the end of the Cold War and has operated them as part of its air force while gradually transitioning to Western aircraft like F-16s and FA-50s, making its remaining MiG-29s surplus to its long-term defence needs.

Ukraine also operates MiG-29s and has integrated them into its defence long before the 2022 Russian invasion, meaning additional MiG-29s can be fielded quickly without extensive new pilot training.

Since 2022, Poland has been a leading contributor of military aid to Ukraine, donating MiG-29 jets and other heavy weapons as part of sustained support against Russian aggression; transfers are coordinated with NATO allies and have included batches of MiG-29 aircraft already delivered and further negotiations for additional jets.

Poland’s support complements broader defence cooperation with Ukraine, reflecting shared security interests and efforts to bolster Ukraine’s air defence capacity amid continued conflict.

By Jeyhun Aghazada