On March 9, 2023, the Slovak Minister of Defense, Jaroslav Nad, announced that Slovakia is ready to provide Ukraine with MiG-29 fighter jets from the Slovak Air Force inventory. These fighters retired last summer, but some of them are still in operational condition. At the same time, Poland could also deliver an undisclosed number of Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine.
In June 2022, Slovakia had already offered the transfer of these MiG-29s to Ukraine. Slovakia was one of the countries to offer Ukraine with new fighter jets since March 2022, shortly after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.
The Slovak government ordered F-16 fighter jets from the United States in 2018 to replace the aging MiG-29 planes. The first U.S.-made planes were expected to arrive last year and shipment was meant to be completed this year, but delivery is now expected to take place in 2024.
Poland is also in the process of replacing its aging fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets with newer and more advanced aircraft. The Polish government has announced plans to purchase 32 fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II fighter jets from the United States.
Currently, the Slovak air force has a squadron of MiG-29AS/UBS Fulcrum while Poland has two squadrons of MiG-29 fighter. The MiG-29 is also in service with the Ukrainian Air Force.