Poland to bolster Ukraine’s defence with Soviet MiG-29 fighter jets

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has said that Poland signaled its intention to sustain military aid to Ukraine by gradually transferring MiG-29 fighter jets that are being phased out from its armed forces.

“We will contribute to military assistance through the gradual handover of MiG-29 aircraft being retired from service in the Polish military,” Sikorski said, emphasising Poland’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s defence capabilities, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

However, the minister did not provide a specific timeline for when these transfers might begin, nor did he comment on whether NATO had secured replacements for these Soviet-era jets within the alliance. 

On July 8, 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office announced that under a long-term defence and security cooperation agreement signed that day, Polish authorities committed to considering the transfer of at least one additional squadron of MiG-29 fighter jets to Kyiv—approximately 14 aircraft. 

At the same time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned Zelenskyy that Warsaw would be unable to deliver these jets without support from NATO allies. In June 2025, head of Poland’s National Security Bureau Dariusz Łukowski revealed that Warsaw was not ready to hand over the promised fighter jets to Kyiv.

By Naila Huseynova