Slovakia decides to hand over four Mig-29 fighter jets to Ukraine

Slovakia's Defense Minister, Jaro Nad, announced in a Facebook post on Thursday that the country has transferred four of its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. This move follows Slovakia's recent commitment to provide Ukraine with a total of 13 MiG-29 fighter jets, alongside Poland's pledge to supply four aircraft.

Russia has downplayed the significance of Ukraine's recent acquisition of additional Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, claiming that the move will have no impact on the ongoing conflict, as per a report from CNN. This may explain why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed a strong desire to acquire F-16 fighter jets, rather than more MiGs. The MiG-29s are analog aircraft that rely on older flight technology, while the F-16s are digital and offer superior capabilities. Although MiGs can be effective for short combat missions and have good maneuverability at short range, F-16s offer greater versatility, integrated weapons systems, and vastly superior long-range radar capabilities, making them better suited for providing early warning and conducting longer missions.

Why is Slovakia willing to supply Ukraine with MiGs?

Slovakia is willing to supply Ukraine with MiGs because they are not really of any use anymore to the nation. Over the summer, Slovakia was forced to ground its MiG aircraft fleet due to a shortage of maintenance experts and spare parts, as Russian technicians who had been assisting with upkeep returned home. However, the Ukrainian air force, which also operates MiG 29s, had expressed interest in acquiring the grounded aircraft. Few days ago, Slovakia's Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said that “We will never use the MiGs anymore. They have no real value for us. If we give them to Ukraine, they can help save their lives." 

A look at Slovakia's past

Slovakia's history with the USSR can be traced back to the post-World War II era when the Soviet Union emerged as a superpower and became a dominant force in Eastern Europe. At the end of the war, Slovakia became a part of Czechoslovakia, which was then under Soviet control. In 1948, Czechoslovakia was taken over by the Communist Party, which was heavily influenced by the Soviet Union. This led to a period of Soviet-style centralization, industrialization, and collectivization. Slovakia, being a part of Czechoslovakia, was also subject to these policies.

The relationship between Czechoslovakia and the USSR remained strong throughout the Cold War period, and the Soviet Union supported Czechoslovakia during the 1968 Prague Spring, a period of political liberalization that was crushed by a Soviet-led invasion. Following the Velvet Revolution in 1989, which led to the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia, Slovakia became an independent state in 1993. The relationship between Slovakia and the USSR had ended by this point, as the Soviet Union had dissolved in 1991. Today, Slovakia is a member of the European Union and NATO, and has developed close ties with Western Europe.