The donation of MiG-29 fighters from Slovakia to Ukraine in 2023 is not a crime, the prosecutor's office in Bratislava announced.
The previous Slovak government, led by then Prime Minister Eduard Heger, donated the remaining Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters and two air defense systems to Ukraine in the spring of 2023. The move made Slovakia the first country to send military aircraft to Kiev after Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. In return, Slovakia received more modern Western combat aircraft.
Prime Minister Robert Fico, considered Putin's Trojan horse, has long criticized Western military aid to Ukraine and defense aid provided by the previous Slovak government. His administration filed a criminal complaint against Heger and former Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad over the transfer of the aircraft.
The Defense Ministry accused the two of sabotage, abuse of power, and mismanagement of public property - allegations that both Heger and Nad denied. Current Defense Minister Robert Kaliniak has also accused his predecessor of treason.
A spokesman for the prosecutor's office told POLITICO that the investigation was closed because it was determined that the act in question did not constitute a crime and there was no reason to further examine the case.
The investigation found that the donation of military equipment to Ukraine did not cause harm to Slovakia, as defined in the country's criminal code.
Jaroslav Nad welcomed the decision, writing on social media that Heger's government "acted not only morally correct, but also in the national interest of the Slovak Republic and in full compliance with applicable laws and the constitution." He added that he expects a public apology from Fico's government.