Funding and upgrades: Ukraine's ambassador explains what's delaying MiG-29 transfer from Poland
Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, has said that dialogue with Poland on the transfer of four MiG-29 fighter jets continues, but there are several obstacles.
Source: Bodnar in an interview with European Pravda
Details: Bodnar said the discussion concerns four aircraft which have been decommissioned and transferred from the Polish Armed Forces to the Armaments Agency.
"They were offered to us. Our experts have inspected them. And these MiGs need quite serious – and expensive – modernisation," the ambassador told European Pravda.
He clarified that stripping these aircraft for spare parts is unlikely to be an option, since they are flying machines with some remaining service life and there is demand for them in other countries.
Quote: "So in this case, dialogue is currently underway in the military to see whether we can reach an understanding on upgrading these aircraft to a state in which they can be used for defending Ukrainian skies to some extent.
Because it all comes down to funding, upgrades, and the amount of equipment needed, which isn't always available in our countries either and depends on supplies from third countries. So there are many factors at play here, and I wouldn't want that to be exploited. On the Polish side, there is clearly political will to hand over these MiGs."
Background:
- Polish Deputy Defence Minister Paulina Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said last week that Kyiv had presented Warsaw with a "concrete proposal" regarding the MiG-29 fighter jets, offering to exchange them for drone technology.
- In late June, Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Ukraine had withdrawn from the proposed "MiGs for drones" agreement. A few days later, he claimed this was due to the historical dispute between Kyiv and Warsaw.
- However, in July, Kosiniak-Kamysz said reaching an agreement on the issue was still possible.
- He later stated that Bulgaria was interested in purchasing the Polish MiG-29 fighter jets that Ukraine is interested in, but that Warsaw had not ruled out reaching an agreement with Kyiv.
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