Ukraine's Aerial Strength Bolstered by MiG-29 Fighter Jet Arrivals

Poland has handed over 10 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Warsaw's defense minister has said, ahead of a long-anticipated spring counteroffensive by Kyiv's forces.

Speaking during a joint press conference with Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand, Mariusz Blaszczak told the media on Monday that to date, "we delivered 10 MiG-29 jets to Ukraine."

"We want to support Ukraine as soon as possible," Blaszczak said, adding that "Russia is dangerous."

Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

In March, Poland became the first NATO nation to pledge the Soviet-era fighter jets, saying it would send four of the fighter aircraft to Kyiv. Further aircraft would be serviced and repaired before heading to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda said. Poland had 28 MiG-29s, also known as "Fulcrum" aircraft, as of the start of the year, according to The Military Balance 2023, the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank's annual assessment of nations' military capabilities.

In March, Slovakia announced it would send 13 of the jets to Ukraine, with Prime Minister Eduard Heger saying Bratislava would be "on the right side of history." Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad then confirmed in a post to social media on April 17 that the 13 aircraft had arrived in Ukraine. However, sending MiG-29s was "far more symbolic as a gesture than it is actually improving the ability of the Ukrainians to wage war in the air with the Russians," former British Air Commodore Andrew Curtis told Newsweek in March.

But many of Kyiv's allies have resisted committing aircraft to Ukraine, and do not have stocks of the Soviet-era fighters that have long been part of Kyiv's military inventory.

"We are not trying to put pressure on our allies, we only try to encourage them to support Ukraine," Blaszczak added.

Ahead of announcing the move by Poland, Duda said that Ukrainian pilots would be "ready to use those planes instantly." The fourth-generation, twin-engine MiG-29s are already familiar to Ukrainian pilots and have been used throughout the war effort against Russia.

This is a key advantage of the MiG-29s, experts say. Kyiv does have "pilots who are experienced in operating them, who they can put into those airframes immediately," David Jordan, co-director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute at King's College London, U.K., previously told Newsweek.

This is "undoubtedly a good move" from Poland, Jordan told Newsweek on Tuesday. "While it doesn't increase the number of pilots who are immediately available, it gives the Ukrainians a larger fleet of aircraft," he added. "As long as you have the pilots to fly them and the parts to maintain them, then having more aircraft is, obviously, advantageous."

However, "the basic point that this isn't a long-term answer remains. Eventually, Ukraine will run out of spare parts to keep the MiGs flying," he said, and the legacy Soviet aircraft will need to be replaced by Western-made fighter jets, such as F-16s.

"I think we are getting to the point where, very soon, decisions will need to be taken," Jordan said.

Other factors, such as a reported shortage of surface-to-air missiles and questions over how continued military aid heading for Ukraine could be impacted by next year's U.S. Presidential election, will also play into considerations about if, and when, to send Western fighter jets, Curtis added to Newsweek on Thursday.

If the U.S. does not soon make up its mind about supplying, or endorsing the supply, of Western fighter jets such as F-16s to Ukraine, "both points above could become relevant," he added.

Ukraine has long called for advanced, Western-made fighter jets, such as the F-16, although Washington and other Western allies have resisted committing such aircraft to Kyiv.

The move would mark a "fundamental shift" for Ukraine's air force in several ways, experts told Newsweek earlier this year, and while they could ultimately offer upgraded capabilities, there are several obstacles to quickly integrating these new planes into Ukraine's armed forces.

Gaining F-16s would "add considerably to Ukrainian air power capability," Jordan said on Tuesday, and at some point, aircraft of Western origin will be needed to make sure Ukraine has a viable air force.

"Giving Ukraine F-16s will deter Russia rather than 'provoke' it," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on April 27, adding: "Time to take this step."

The promised MiG-29s have arrived in Ukraine ahead of counteroffensive operations, although Kyiv has refused to divulge details of how its military plans to push back Moscow's forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that Kyiv would not delay its upcoming counteroffensive because of a lack of F-16s.

Update 5/9/23, 7:14 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional comment from David Jordan.

Update 5/14/23, 11.40 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional comment from Andrew Curtis.