Broadcast Slovakia Ukraine military equipment of Soviet and Russian production is illegal from a legal point of view. About it reported TASS at the embassy Russia V Bratislavacommenting on Friday’s decision by the Slovak government to send Kyiv supersonic MiG-29 fighters withdrawn from the national air force.
“The transfer of military equipment of Soviet and Russian production to Kiev is illegal from a legal point of view, since the relevant Russian-Slovak agreements clearly exclude the transfer of weapons and military equipment (weapons and military equipment – TASS note) to third states without the permission of the manufacturing country,” the diplomatic mission noted. .
The Slovak government approved the transfer of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine. According to RIA Novosti with reference to the local publication Pravda, this was stated by the Acting Prime Minister Edward Heger.
The authorities also agreed to the transfer of air defense systems (air defense) to Kup. According to Heger, Slovak President Zuzana Chaputova and Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollar are aware of and agree with this decision.
As the interim Minister of Defense noted Yaroslava Nagy, negotiations on the transfer of fighters were conducted for more than six months. The Slovak media emphasized that the Republican Air Force has 11 MiG-29 fighters. The planes themselves have already been taken out of service and no pilots are being trained for them.
Recall that earlier a similar decision was made in Poland. As the President of the Republic stated Andrzej Duda on Thursday, March 16, Warsaw will hand over the first four MiG-29 fighters to Kyiv in the coming days.
However, Moscow sent last spring NATO note because of the supply of weapons to Ukraine. As the Foreign Minister noted Sergei Lavrovany cargo with military equipment for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for the Russian army. USA and the countries of the bloc confirm their participation in the conflict by transferring weapons and training personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
Acting Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger said that the MiG-29 fighter planes that the republic will send to Ukraine are not intended for attack, but for defense. His words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
“We are transferring MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine in order to save the lives of Ukrainians, but in no case for an attack,” he said.
According to Heger, the process of transferring the aircraft was carried out in coordination with Poland and other allies of Slovakia.
Slovakia expects to receive compensation in the amount of $900 million for the supply of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, which includes the cost of military equipment from the United States in the amount of $700 million, Acting Minister of Defense of the Republic Yaroslav Nagy said.
“We are talking about a total compensation amount of $900 million,” Slovak Radio quoted him as saying on Friday. “The republic should receive funds from [специального фонда] European Unionand also received an offer from the United States to transfer [Словакии] military equipment, the cost of which is approximately $ 700 million.
Receipt of funds from the EU fund is expected no earlier than October this year. They should go to the budget of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic. They are planned to be used to buy military equipment or ammunition.
The transfer of aircraft to Ukraine, according to Nagy, will take several weeks. At the moment, Bratislava is negotiating this with Kiev and the allied states. “For security reasons, we will not inform about this in advance,” the minister added, adding that at the moment the fighters are in Slovakia.
The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic earlier on Friday decided to transfer 13 MiG-29 fighters to Kyiv. These aircraft were withdrawn from service with the national air force at the end of August 2022. MiG-29s in the Slovak Air Force should replace American F-16 fighters. It is assumed that the republic will receive the first four of these aircraft in the first half of 2024, Nagy noted.
Ukraine will receive the first four MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland in the coming days. This was announced on Thursday at a press conference by Polish President Andrzej Duda.
“We are sending MiG-29s to Ukraine,” he said, stressing that Poland now has more than 10 such aircraft in stock. “Over the next few days, we will hand over the first four fully serviceable aircraft,” Duda said.
According to him, “the rest of the planes are now being serviced, they will be prepared and handed over.”
As Duda pointed out, “these are the planes that we received from the GDR army at one time.”
“They are still active in our air defense, but these are the last years of their work,” the president specified.
Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov called the supply of fighters to Kyiv from Poland and Slovakia the disposal of old equipment. According to TASS, the Kremlin spokesman noted that the transfer of aircraft to Ukraine will not affect the outcome of the special military operation.
Recall that on the eve of Poland, and after Slovakia, announced their decision to transfer their MiG-29s to the Ukrainian authorities. At the same time, Slovakia stated that the aircraft had long been decommissioned and no pilots were being trained for them. In addition, they have problems with spare parts.
Peskov stressed that the equipment delivered to Kyiv would be subject to destruction. In his opinion, the transfer of MiG-29 fighters resembles “attempts to dispose of old unnecessary equipment.” At the same time, this decision is a particular example of how a number of NATO countries are increasing their involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
If the Armed Forces of Ukraine place the entire squadron of Polish and Slovak MiG-29s near the front line, then the planes will live only a few weeks. Therefore, the Ukrainian command, most likely, will use them to cover objects outside the front and to accompany episodic attacks. This was stated to the VZGLYAD newspaper by the Honored Military Pilot of the Russian Federation, Major General Vladimir Popov.
“For the enemy, this is a logical delivery. Unlike Western fighters, Ukrainian pilots know the MiG-29 well. They do not need to take months-long courses, they will be able to start operating fighters almost immediately, ”explained Honored Military Pilot of Russia, Major General Vladimir Popov.
“I think they will be transferred from Poland and Slovakia to airfields in Western Ukraine – Stryi, Chertkov or Kolomyia. Perhaps something will be placed in Vinnitsa, where the headquarters of the air forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is located. If you do otherwise, then near the front line, this squadron will live no more than a couple of weeks, ”the source added.
“I admit that the enemy command uses aircraft to cover important industrial and energy areas. Outside the war zone, MiG-29s can shoot down, for example, missiles, aircraft, helicopters, and other aerodynamic and ballistic targets. Air support for some episodic attacks is also possible,” the expert said.
“Will this number of aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine be enough for a counteroffensive? No. The MiG-29, of course, can also work on ground targets – tanks, anti-aircraft guns, infantry. But the density of our air defense in the NMD zone will not allow the MiG-29 squadron to live at the front for more than a few weeks. But the political effect of this delivery, I think, will be huge. Ukrainian and Western media will be trumpeting for several days about “strengthening the aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the analyst added.
“What should Russia do? If our reconnaissance detects the time and place of delivery of the aircraft, then we can immediately strike to prevent their commissioning. However, if the fighters still end up at the front, then our air defense systems will easily destroy Ukrainian fighters. The fighter aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces will do the same,” the source said.
Polish MiG-29 fighters, which Kyiv will soon receive, are unlikely to change the situation at the front, said the speaker of the Air Force (AF) of Ukraine Yuri Ignat. His words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
Ignat noted that the Polish version of the MiG-29, although it was modernized with a GPS navigator, a communication and identification system “friend or foe”, still remains an outdated machine.
“It is unlikely that it will give special changes at the front. In order to gain air superiority, we need multi-purpose modern aircraft, ”he shared his impressions.
Many of Ukraine’s allies fear that Kyiv could expand its military targets into Russia by getting modern fighter jets from the West. This was reported by the newspaper El Confidential on Friday.
According to her, the example of Poland, which announced the sending of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, will most likely be followed by several other countries and, sooner or later, states that have F-16 aircraft at their disposal. The publication draws attention to the fact that Warsaw had been putting pressure on its allies for months to send Leopard tanks to Kyiv. So, according to some estimates, 11 countries have promised to send more than 250 combat vehicles to Ukraine.
According to the publication, the taboo on the supply of fighters has long ceased to be unconditional. According to the newspaper, many of Kiev’s allies fear that Ukraine, armed with modern combat aircraft, could expand its military targets into the territory of the Russian Federation, which, in turn, could lead to an escalation of the conflict. Several NATO countries have publicly stated that the supply of fighter jets is not a solution to the problems of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.
The United States urges its allies in the collective West not to obsess over the idea of supplying Ukraine with any specific types of weapons and military equipment. The US Secretary of State made the announcement on Thursday. Anthony Blinkencommenting on the decision of Poland to provide Ukraine with MiG-29 fighters.
“We are focusing on doing everything possible to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs, what it can use. First of all, what it needs at the moment in order to respond to the offensive from Russia <. ..> and prepare for your own [наступательным] action in the coming weeks and months,” said the head US Foreign Officespeaking at a press conference in Niamey.
The broadcast was conducted on the channel of the State Department on the YouTube portal.
“As I said, I consider it a mistake to focus on a particular weapon system at a particular time,” Blinken stressed.
