Poland has received a request from an unnamed NATO country regarding parts for the MiG-29 fighters that Warsaw plans to provide to Ukraine. This was stated by Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Pawel Zalewski in an interview with “Radio ZET“, quoted by BGNES.
Zalewski refused to answer a direct question about whether Bulgaria was involved. According to the Ukrainian military website, it is probably our country. According to Zalewski, despite the request from the allied country, the priority for Poland remains the transfer of the aircraft to Ukraine.
Currently, only two NATO countries use MiG-29 fighters, Poland and Bulgaria. Sofia is gradually replacing Soviet aircraft with new F-16 Block 70 fighters, but so far it has only received the first batch. The delivery of the second is expected by 2027. Bulgaria is not yet ready to provide its MiG-29s to Ukraine due to concerns that this would affect the operational capabilities of its air force.
According to available data, the country has 16 MiG-29 fighters, of which only six are operationally ready. Due to European Union sanctions against Russia, Bulgaria can no longer receive spare parts for them from Russian manufacturers.
At the end of last year, the Polish Ministry of National Defense and the General Staff of the Armed Forces announced plans to transfer to Ukraine some of the MiG-29s that are still in service with the Polish air force. According to the initial agreements, Poland was to receive access to Ukrainian technology for unmanned systems in exchange for the aircraft.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the time that the fighters were important for his country, as Ukrainian pilots have significant experience with them. "The problem is not the lack of aircraft, but the lack of pilots," he said.
In June, the Polish side announced that the transfer had not yet been completed, as the issue of providing technology remained unresolved.
Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk said that the aircraft would be handed over as soon as a solution was found. In July, the two countries resumed negotiations on the possible provision of nine fighters.
It was previously reported that after inspecting the Polish aircraft, the Ukrainian delegation was dissatisfied with their technical condition, as they needed repairs before they could be put into service.
Due to insufficient maintenance over the years, the condition of the MiG-29s was assessed as unsatisfactory. Poland expressed readiness to help modernize the aircraft for Ukraine, but stressed that the costs should be borne by Kiev or partner countries.