Ukraine’s Bid for MiG-29s from Peru: A deal undone by diplomatic intrigue?

Recently, Vladislav Belbas, the head of the military company “Ukrainian Armored Vehicles,” expressed frustration over an aborted deal for Ukraine to purchase fighter jets. Belbas blamed Russian diplomats for allegedly sabotaging the transaction with an unspecified country. However, experts in global arms export easily identified the nation that denied Ukraine the aircraft.

According to Kyiv’s version, Moscow learned about the planned deal and pressured the potential supplier of Russian-made aircraft, leading them to withdraw from the impending contract. Any contract for Russian aircraft typically includes a prohibition on re-exporting the aviation technology to third countries, especially to conflict zones.

Experts from the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) speculate that the country in question might be Peru, considering an attempt to purchase MiG-29 fighters from them. Belbas hinted that the country is on another continent, aligning with the fact that Peru indeed possesses MiG-29s and Su-25 attack aircraft, acquired from Russia and other countries. Peru’s Air Force bought 18 MiG-29s (16 single-seat and two two-seat) from Belarus in 1996, along with an equal number of Su-25s. Subsequently, Peru purchased three export versions of the MiG-29SE in modern configurations from Russia, and between 2008-2012, eight more Belarusian MiGs, upgraded to the MiG-29SMT variant by Russian specialists.

The CAST experts’ guess is likely correct, suggesting that the Ukrainian Armed Forces missed a significant enhancement to their air fleet. If Belbas’s account is accurate, Russian diplomats could be commended for their “non-contact destruction” of an enemy’s potential air squadron.