Slovak Prosecutor’s Office: Transfer of S-300 and MiG-29 to Ukraine Did Not Affect Country’s Defense Capabilities

The Slovak Prosecutor’s Office has concluded that the transfer of military equipment to Ukraine did not harm the country’s defense capabilities.

Investigators checked the legality of arms deliveries made by previous governments and found no evidence of criminal activity, according to The Slovak Spectator.

This decision directly concerns the transfer of S-300 air defense systems and MiG-29 fighter jets that were in service with the Slovak army.

Current Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed strong dissatisfaction with the prosecutors’ conclusions. He continues to insist that the previous government’s decision to transfer the aid was illegal. Fico claims that the removal of equipment from the armed forces left Slovakia’s airspace unprotected and significantly weakened the army.

Example of MiG-29

Experts involved in the process noted that the transferred equipment was outdated and required significant financial costs for maintenance.

In particular, the fighters had a critically limited service life due to maintenance problems and a lack of spare parts. At the time of transfer, these aircraft had already been decommissioned by the Slovak armed forces.

At the same time, the previous government emphasized that the transfer of equipment allowed Slovakia to receive financial compensation from the European Union and significant discounts on the purchase of modern American systems. According to the government officials at the time, this step actually helped speed up the modernization of the army to NATO standards. Instead of Soviet systems, the country began to receive new Western models.