Ukraine refutes media reports claiming it received MiG-29 fighter jets from US

Amid the ongoing brutal war with Russia, Ukraine on Wednesday refuted international media claims that it received MiG-29 fighter jets from the United States to fight the Russian Air Force. Ukrainian Defence Ministry stated that Kyiv has not received new airplanes from its foreign partners. "Ukraine has in fact received spare parts for the overhaul and repair of aircraft. This has allowed us to bring more aircraft to a combat-ready status,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement. Last month, President Joe Biden refused to allow Ukraine to purchase Polish MiG-29 fighter jets based at a US airbase in Germany, citing concerns that the sale might escalate Russian aggression. 

As per reports, Berlin was also opposed to the proposal, citing Germany's long-standing policy of avoiding involvement in wars and concerns that transporting the combat aircraft to Ukraine would infuriate Russia. Meanwhile, last week, it was reported that war-torn Ukraine is seeking to purchase modern weaponry from Slovakia. According to various media reports, the Slovak government was negotiating with Ukraine on the supply of Zuzana self-propelled artillery and MiG-29 fighter jets. Notably, Zuzana Howitzers is an artillery system developed by the Slovan defence ministry. 

US provides another set of weaponry assistance to Ukraine

Meanwhile, the US, which has aided Ukraine in its struggle against Russian troops since the outset, has given another set of military aid to Ukraine. According to the Pentagon, the first supplies of the latest round of US military aid to Ukraine, which includes heavier armament systems, arrived in the region this weekend. The $800 million in security aid approved recently includes Howitzer artillery systems, 40,000 artillery rounds, armoured personnel vehicles, and other armaments, CBS News reported. 

Zelenskyy urges world to provide modern lethal weapons to Ukraine

It is significant to mention here that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has once again urged countries across the world to provide modern lethal weapons to the war-torn nation in order to combat Russian aggression. Addressing the nation on April 15, he stated that any delay in the delivery of weapons could endanger the lives of tens of thousands of people. Meanwhile, Norwegian Defence Minister Bjorn Arild Gram claimed that Oslo has donated 100 Mistral air-defence systems to Ukraine to fight Russian aggression. Reportedly, Norway does not use short-range missiles anymore. 

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