The plan of Poland transferring four Soviet fighters to Ukraine is revealed

Warsaw hopes to become an example for other Western allies

Poland is ready to supply fighter jets to Ukraine in the face of a serious escalation of military support for Kyiv. Four Soviet-era MiG-29s will be sent as the first batch, which could lead other NATO members to provide combat aircraft to the Armed Forces.

Poland will be the first country to supply fighter jets to Ukraine in the next few days, marking a significant step forward in military support for Kyiv ahead of the UAF’s planned counter-offensive.

The precedent of sending four Soviet-era MiG-29s to Kiev as the first batch could lead other NATO members to provide combat aircraft, something Ukraine has long been asking its Western backers for.

Polish President Andrzej Duda made a corresponding statement in Warsaw. He said that the first aircraft transferred were inherited from the GDR after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Duda said the MiGs are coming to the end of their service life in 30 years, but they are “still in working order”. The Polish President said that more Polish MiGs are undergoing maintenance and repair in preparation for the transfer to Ukraine. In total, the Polish air fleet has 28 MiG-29s, which in the next few years should be replaced by South Korean FA-50s and American F-35s.

So far, Ukraine’s NATO supporters have provided spare parts only for its fleet of Soviet-era combat aircraft, amid fears that supplying serviceable aircraft to Ukraine would be seen by Moscow as direct involvement in the conflict. A year ago, Poland offered to hand over all of its MiGs to the United States at its airbase in Ramstein, Germany, so they could be handed over to Ukraine, but Washington rejected the plan.

Slovakia, Finland and the Netherlands have said they will consider supplying combat aircraft to Ukraine, recalls The Guardian. The US and UK have so far refused to supply Kiev with their F-16 and Typhoon combat aircraft, respectively, on the grounds that they require too much training, ground support and long, flat runways to provide any short-term assistance to Ukraine. However, the UK offered to provide air cover for any Eastern European country willing to provide Kyiv with Soviet-era jets.

Some European countries are pursuing a policy of uncertainty about what they can provide if the conflict in Ukraine continues in the long term.

“The experience of the past 12 months shows that what was considered impossible, too dangerous, potentially escalating, useless in terms of Ukraine’s needs and so on, turned out to be absolutely necessary and urgent a few months later,” The Guardian quoted an unnamed senior European official as saying. .

Ukrainian forces are expected to attempt a military breakthrough in the spring and summer, with Kyiv attempting to build a well-equipped force from Western-trained recruits and Western-supplied weapons. But deliveries of Leopard tanks and other equipment have been slower than Kyiv had hoped, and its army has lost many of its experienced soldiers, admits The Guardian.

The Polish announcement of the delivery of four MiGs came a day after a virtual conference of defense ministers from more than 40 countries backing Ukraine to coordinate the next tranche of arms transfers. Sweden has announced it will send 10 Leopard tanks, while Norway and the US have offered two more of their jointly developed Nasams anti-aircraft systems.

“We are building up combat power to the extent that we believe will give them the ability to change the dynamics on the battlefield,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said.