Slovakia joins Poland in providing MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine

Slovakia joined Poland, which announced Thursday it would send Ukraine four MiG-29 fighter jets in coming days, making it the first of Kyiv's allies to provide such aircraft. Both the NATO members neighbour Ukraine.

Its fleet of 11 MiG-29 planes was retired last summer and most of them are not in operational condition. It will send those that are operational and the rest will go for spare parts.

Slovakia will also supply part of its KUB air-defence system, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said.

"Today, the government decided and unanimously approved an international agreement (on the donation)," Heger said.

"The process of handing over these fighter jets is closely coordinated with the Polish side, with Ukraine and, of course, with other allies," he said.

Slovakia will receive financial compensation the European Union. It has also reached an agreement with the United States on deliveries of military material worth around $700 million, Heger said.

NATO allies in the former communist east such as Poland and Slovakia have been particularly vocal supporters of Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Western countries that have provided Ukraine with arms have so far declined to send fighter jets.

Slovakia ordered F-16 fighter jets from the United States in 2018 to replace the ageing MiG-29 planes. The first U.S.-made planes are expected to arrive in 2024 after a delay.

Heger's government is ruling in a caretaker capacity until early elections set for September, which made the opposition and even some members of the ruling coalition question whether the cabinet is permitted to decide on such thing as the MiGs.

Heger said that law experts which his government consulted all said that the move was legally sound.

The U.S. was informed of Poland's decision to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, the White House said on Thursday (March 16).

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters this is part of a continued effort to closely coordinate with allies and partners.

One of Ukraine's staunchest supporters, Warsaw has taken a leading role in persuading sometimes hesitant allies to provide Kyiv with heavy weaponry. It has said that any transfer of jets would be as part of a coalition.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda on Thursday said that Poland had roughly 10-20 MiG 29 jets.

Russia said on Friday that all fighter jets supplied to Ukraine by Western nations would be destroyed after NATO members Poland and Slovakia pledged to send MiG-29 jets to Kyiv.

Since Russia's invasion last year NATO countries have sent billions of dollars of military aid to Ukraine, as Kyiv asks for weapons it says are vital to fend off Russian advances.

Moscow has accused the West of directly participating in the conflict through supplying weapons to Ukraine, and has warned before that NATO weapons were legitimate targets for its forces.

"In the course of the special military operation all this equipment will be subject to destruction," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"It feels like all of these countries are thus engaged in the disposal of old unnecessary equipment," he said.