Slovakia has handed over the promised 13 MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, reports the press service of the Slovak Defense Ministry. Bratislava sent the first four fighters to Kiev at the end of March, now the remaining nine planes have been sent to Ukraine, the country’s defense department said.
Republican Defense Minister Yaroslav Nagy called sending fighter jets across the border a “difficult operation”.
The transfer was carried out by land with the greatest possible safety, again a huge thank you to all those involved, because in such cases it is a really important and complex logistical operation
said the minister.
He added that the fighter jets would be an “important support” to Ukraine that would help protect people’s lives. According to Nagy, Slovakia does not need MiG-29, “unlike its neighbor”.
We do what it takes, stressed the minister.
On March 22, the Slovak Ministry of Defense announced that Ukrainian specialists were accepting MiG-29 fighters, which would be donated to Kiev. On March 23, it became known about the transfer of the first four fighters, who in 2022 were withdrawn from the Republican Air Force.
Earlier it was reported that the MiG-29 fighters transferred to Ukraine from Slovakia have been working in the area of the special military operation since the end of March. This was told to the National Council of the Republic by the Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Olena Kondratiukova. According to her, Slovak fighters protect the skies above Kharkiv.
