Russian Air Superiority over Ukraine has been dealt a blow today after Poland announced it was transferring all of its 28 MIG29 (NATO codename Fulcrum) fighter jets to the United States, who will donate them to Ukraine, free of charge.
The move is a major boost to the defence of Ukraine whose airforce is already capable of operating and supporting the soviet-era fighter.
In return, Poland has asked for aircraft with “corresponding operational capabilities” from the United States, expected to be F16s.
The US however have reportedly rejected the deal citing it could confuse NATOs involvement in the conflict.
The fear arises that aircraft leaving from Germany and entering Ukraine airspace, which is contested by Russia, could be seen as NATO involvement.
Poland has also called on other NATO allies with Soviet-era jets to hand these over too. This includes Bulgaria and Slovakia.
The MIG29 is a Russian built air superiority fighter built in the 1970s. When the Soviet Union broke up, former Soviet bloc countries such as Ukraine kept the fighters stationed there to form their own air force.
The MIG29s are the latest in a global support package for Ukraine following the Russian invasion which has drawn worldwide condemnation.
Vladimir Putin has been forced to take stock of his invading forces after suffering unexpectedly heavy losses and the apparent failure to gain significant ground.
A War Crimes investigation is also underway due to the Russian use of cluster bombs to target civilians.
Story on MiG 29 it’s not happening