Slovakia sends 13 combat aircraft to Ukraine, but Russia is not affected: “All these aircraft will be destroyed”

“Promises must be kept and when Zelensky asked for more weapons, including fighter jets, I said we would do our best. I am glad others are doing too. Military assistance is essential for Ukraine to protect itself and all of Europe from Russia,” Heger wrote on Twitter.

There is no special training

Earlier this week, Poland also announced that it would supply MiG fighter jets to Ukraine. The MiG-29 is a Russian-made fighter aircraft that dates back to the Soviet era. Kiev is already using this type of aircraft. So combat aircraft can be quickly deployed, because Ukrainian pilots do not need any special training to fly them. The readiness status of the Slovak MiG-29 varies. The aircraft has been grounded since August, after a maintenance agreement with Russia was cancelled. In addition to the combat aircraft, Slovakia will also supply Ukraine with the Kub air defense system.

The Kremlin has already responded by saying that planes sent to Ukraine by Poland and Slovakia “will be destroyed”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “The delivery of this military equipment, as we have repeatedly said, will not affect the outcome of the conflict.” “This will only lead to more misery for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”

Ukraine has been ordering fighter jets for some time, but would prefer to receive the American F-16s. These are more modern devices with more options. However, the Western allies still doubted that this requirement would be met. In any case, the F-16s could only be deployed later in the war, because the Ukrainian pilots would first have to train.