Poland will be the first NATO country to ship approximately a dozen Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, the country’s leader announced Thursday.
Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters on March 16 that the first four jets should arrive in Ukraine any day now, per The Washington Post.
After Duda’s announcement, Slovakia quickly followed suit, pledging 13 MiG-29s. Most of these jets are not operational and will be used for spare parts.
The delivery will mark the first move of this kind by NATO allies, whose support of the war-beset country has been hindered by supply issues and domestic opposition, according to The Dallas Express.
Despite the United States providing funds and a number of different weapon systems, the issue of fighter jets has been a prickly one among officials, as The Dallas Express previously covered.
The White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby repeated the refusal to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine on the same day the announcements from Poland and Slovakia were made, per AP News.
“There’s no change in our view with respect to fighter aircraft at this time. That is our sovereign decision,” said Kirby.
He argued that it would be pointless as they would not arrive in time for the large counteroffensive expected to happen this spring. Moreover, training Ukrainian pilots to fly them takes time.
Nevertheless, two Ukrainian pilots are currently being assessed by military trainers for F-16s in Tucson, Arizona, CNBC reported. As many as 10 more are expected to follow soon.
Stressing that the Ukrainian pilots would not be flying any U.S. aircraft, an administration official told CNBC, “The program is about assessing their abilities as pilots so we can better advise them on how to use capabilities they have and we have given them.”
In terms of the differences between F-16s and MiGs, Guy McCardle, the managing editor of Special Operations Forces Report told Newsweek that F-16s are far superior at higher speeds. They also have better weapons systems and run longer.
Nonetheless, MiGs are also fourth-generation jets and demonstrate a great deal of maneuverability at lower speeds.
A major advantage of employing the MiGs on the Ukrainian battlefront — alongside the pilots’ greater familiarity with them — is that they will be easier to repair. Unlike F-16s, which are digital, MiGs are analog, and spare parts are more readily available in the region.
Poland’s MiGs are reportedly in better shape than the Slovakian ones.
“They are in the last years of their functioning, but they are in good working condition,” said Duda, per AP News.
But according to Yuriy Ihnat, the spokesman for the Ukrainian air force, the jets are unlikely to make much of a difference in the war, per The Washington Post.
“It cannot be said that the MiG-29 aircraft will lead to any changes at the front,” Ihnat explained, per The Washington Post.
At the same time, the MiGs will strengthen Ukraine’s technological position, since they have “gone through certain modifications,” and will carry an important symbolic weight that might encourage Ukraine’s other supporters to follow up with additional aircraft.
This move marks a significant step forward in Western aid to Ukraine. Previously, the West had supplied short-range anti-aircraft and anti-tank equipment to help repel Russia’s initial invasion.
However, as the conflict continued, Western aid expanded to include heavier artillery, multiple-launch precision rockets, and main battle tanks over the past year, reflecting changes in battlefield conditions and a shift to more offensive operations.
For the moment, Poland and Slovakia appear alone in their respective decisions to send jets to Ukraine.
Reacting to Duda’s announcement, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters, “So far, everyone has agreed that it’s not the time to send fighter jets,” per AP News. He has earlier cited significant budgetary shortages as a major reason for not sending Ukraine any aircraft.
As a country with its own complicated history with Russia, Poland has been a major supporter of Ukraine since the invasion began. According to Statista, more than 10 million Ukrainian war refugees entered Poland, costing over 8 billion euros in humanitarian relief. As of last month, an estimated 1.5 million Ukrainians had taken up residence there — the second largest number behind Russia at 2.8 million.