Slovakia on Thursday handed over the first four Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, with nine more to be delivered in the coming weeks, Slovakia’s Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad announced.
Ukrainian pilots traveled to Slovakia to pick up the planes before flying them home.
“Slovakia stands on the right, and with this gesture we have inscribed ourselves in modern world history as a country in capital letters that speak of timely assistance, sincere solidarity and the greatness of the nation,” Nad said in a statement.
In this still image released March 23, 2023, two Slovakian MiG-29 jets take off from Silac Air Force Base in Slovakia. (Slovak Ministry of Defense/Handout via Portal)
Slovak MiG-29 jets can be seen at Silac Air Base, Slovakia. (Slovak Ministry of Defense/Handout via Portal)
A Slovak MiG-29 jet is seen at Silac Air Base in Slovakia. (Slovak Ministry of Defense/Handout via Portal)
Poland last week became the first NATO member to pledge warplanes to Ukraine, with Slovakia following a day later.
The US last week agreed to give Slovakia a discount on a dozen new Bell AH-1Z attack helicopters and 500 AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles. Slovakia previously signed a deal to buy 14 F-16 fighter jets from the US, but they won’t be delivered until next year.
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Other Western nations have so far refused to send fighter jets to Ukraine, but a growing cadre of US lawmakers is urging the Biden administration to approve F-16 fighter jets for the country’s air force.
FILE PHOTO: F-16 lands prior to an air show in New York City. (Atilgan Özdil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A bipartisan group of US senators wrote in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin last week that advanced fighter jets are a “significant capability that could prove game-changing on the battlefield.”
“Having spoken to US, Ukrainian and foreign leaders working to support Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last month, we believe the US will support the delivery of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine need to examine closely,” the senators wrote on March 14.
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Senators noted that two Ukrainian pilots traveled to Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona earlier this month to test their skills on an F-16 simulator. Ukrainian pilots mostly have experience with the older Soviet-era MiG-29 jets.