Slovakia is set to send 13 MIG-29 combat aircraft to Ukraine to assist in defending it from Russia. In a tweet, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger confirmed that promises would be kept for aid offered by Ukraine’s President Zelensky. Heger stated that military aid was essential for Ukraine to protect not only itself but all of Europe against Russia. Although Slovakia has a fleet of 14 MIG-29 fighters, it has not been able to use them since last summer due to maintenance issues with the aircraft. It is expected that the US manufacturer Lockheed Martin will deliver 14 F-16 aircraft to the country by 2024, but until then, the Jas-39 Gripen fighters of the Czech Republic Air Force will monitor Slovakia’s airspace. Slovakia has been a member of NATO since 2004. Poland has also recently announced that it will provide Ukraine with four MiG-29 fighter jets to support the country’s fight against the Russian invasion. President Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, warned that the involvement of various member countries of the Atlantic Alliance in the conflict represents a significant escalation of the situation. Meanwhile, the German government considers the shipment of fighter jets as a Polish matter and has reiterated that Spain has no intention of sending any combat aircraft to Ukraine.
