Slovakia delivers all 13 promised MiG-29 jets to Ukraine

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Slovakia on Monday said it delivered all of its 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 jets it promised to Ukraine.

"All 13 Slovak MiG-29 have been safely handed over to Ukrainian Air Force. Proud to be on the right side, doing the right thing to help protect lives. We Stand with Ukraine," Slovak Defense Minister Jaro Nad said on Twitter.

"With the first batch of four MiG-29s flown to Ukraine by Ukrainian Air Force pilots in March 2023, the remaining nine have by now been successfully transferred to the Ukrainian forces," the country's Defense Ministry said in a separate statement.

Nod said the delivery shows Slovakia's "huge support for Ukraine" in its defense against Russia's "military aggression" and in its protection of human lives.

“Unlike for our neighbour, for us, the aircraft were made unusable. It was the right thing to do,” he added.

He said the transfer was conducted by road due to security concerns in a "challenging logistics operation.”