Poland Ready to Transfer MiG-29 Fighters to Ukraine in Exchange for Anti-Drone Systems

Poland is ready to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in exchange for anti-missile systems, a decision that can be made after ‘some formalities’ are resolved.

This was stated by President of Poland Karol Nawrocki during a joint briefing with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

He added that this decision does not contradict Polish policy and, in his opinion, it will be adopted after certain formalities are resolved.

“Also, formally, the issue of the MiGs themselves is not my responsibility. Instead, in this situation we are in, and this meeting is proof of that, we are looking for a symmetrical strategic partnership. This exchange of MiGs for anti-aircraft systems does not contradict our policy. So, after formal issues are resolved, I think this issue will be resolved,” said Karol Nawrocki.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that these aircraft are important because Ukrainian pilots are able to fly them. He emphasized that “the issue is not a shortage of aircraft, but a shortage of pilots.”

According to him, training a pilot on the F-16 takes from 8 months to a year and a half, while Ukrainian pilots can fight on the MiG-29 immediately – without additional training.

“When every day you are fighting a war, every single unavailable pilot is a great disadvantage. And pilot training takes years. And the issue is not that we don’t have F-16s, even if they are not new, but we don’t have them. This is not the issue. The issue is that you take an experienced pilot from the battlefield, you take an experienced pilot from the war and send him abroad,” the President of Ukraine noted.

The General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces announced in early December that Poland and Ukraine are negotiating the transfer of the last Polish MiG-29 fighters for the needs of the Ukrainian Air Force.

The transfer of the aircraft is explained by the fact that they have reached the end of their service life and there are no prospects for further modernization in the Polish Air Force.

The transfer is expected to be part of NATO’s overall policy of strengthening the Alliance’s eastern flank and supporting Ukraine. The decommissioned MiG-29s will be replaced by more modern F-16 and FA-50 aircraft.

In parallel with the discussion on the transfer of fighter jets, negotiations on compensation mechanisms are ongoing: Ukraine can provide Poland with certain technologies in the field of drones and missile systems.

More about the capabilities of Polish MiG-29s in our special report “History and Capabilities of Polish MiG-29s as Potential Strengthening of Ukrainian Aviation”.