OUR Germany approved Poland’s request for export of five old MiG-29 fighters to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Forcein a fight with her RussiaBerlin announced today.
The Ministry of Defense of Poland has not yet commented on this decision.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the request came in today and that Berlin’s approval on the same day showed confidence in Germany.
Germany “inherited” 24 Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters from the German Democratic Republic after reunification in 1990. At that time, MiGs were considered among the most advanced fighters in the world.
In 2004, Berlin handed over 22 such aircraft to Poland. Of the remaining two, one crashed and was destroyed, and the second is exhibited in the museum.
Poland needed Berlin’s approval to send the remaining MiG-29s to a third country.
Last week, during a visit to Warsaw, the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky he said that Poland could help form a coalition of Western powers that would supply military aircraft to Kyiv. Ukraine, which hopes to launch a counterattack in the coming weeks or months, wants fighter jets to protect its airspace.
Until now, Western countries have been reluctant to send modern aircraft such as F-16s to Kyiv, but some are sending older MiG-29s already in use by Ukrainian forces.
Source: APE-MPE-Reuters-AFP.
⇒ News today
Subscribe to kathimerini.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at kathimerini.gr
Source: Kathimerini
Anna White is a journalist at 247 News Reel, where she writes on world news and current events. She is known for her insightful analysis and compelling storytelling. Anna’s articles have been widely read and shared, earning her a reputation as a talented and respected journalist. She delivers in-depth and accurate understanding of the world’s most pressing issues.