Poland aims to donate Soviet-era warplanes to Ukraine
Warsaw will seek to hand over remaining Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to support Ukraine as it fends off Russian aggression, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday.
The outdated MiG-29s, which have been utilised in the Polish Armed Forces since 1989, are to be replaced with modern aircraft models, FA-50 and F-35. In 2023, Poland aided Ukraine with 14 such aircraft.
The minister told the press that Poland "will endeavour to transfer" the remaining half of the MiG-29 fleet to Kyiv. "That is our intention," he said, adding that in exchange, Poland would like to employ Kyiv's expertise in drone technology and its neutralisation.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the Polish MiG-29s are nearing the end of their service life, meaning their safe and reliable use can no longer be guaranteed. Therefore, they will not be deployed in the Polish Air Force's operations, he added.
Later on Wednesday, Marcin Przydacz, Polish President Karol Nawrocki's chief foreign policy aide, said the head of state "is not being kept informed" about the planned transfer despite being the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
The lack of consultation with Nawrocki may also signal "ill will and an attempt to once again cut the president off from information crucial to Poland," he added.
Later that day, Kosiniak-Kamysz responded to Przydacz's claim, noting that plans to transfer the jets to Ukraine had already been repeatedly outlined in previous sessions of the security committee.
"I also think that, when handing over his duties, [former] president [Andrzej] Duda talked about his meetings with the Ukrainian side," the defence minister told Polish private news channel TVN24. "I am always at disposal. They're simply telling [the president] nonsense. There's no other word for it," Kosiniak-Kamysz said, urging the restoration of "some order" at the President's Office.
The donation will mark the complete departure from the Soviet-era aircraft in the Polish forces. Next year will see deliveries of 32 F-35s from the US. Poland also acquired 48 South Korean FA-50 light attack jets, a number of which have already been delivered. However, the next batch is facing problems with integrating key weaponry. (PAP)
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