Poland disposes of MiG-29 fighters promised to Ukraine after refusal to share drone technology
The Ministry of Defense of Poland has decided to gradually phase out its MiG-29 fighter jets, which Warsaw had promised to send to Ukraine in exchange for drone technology; however, the deal fell through.
Wirtualna Polska reports this, citing the press office of the Polish Ministry of Defense, according to Censor.NET.
Details of Warsaw's decision
It is reported that the Polish Ministry of Defense has made a final decision regarding the future of its MiG-29s: instead of transferring them to Ukraine in exchange for drone technology, the aircraft will be phased out of service in stages. The reason is that the agreement never entered into force.
"Since they (the MiG-29s—ed.) will reach the end of their service life and there are no plans for their further modernization within the Polish Armed Forces, they will be periodically phased out of service by the Polish Armed Forces," - the ministry stated.
The Polish Ministry of Defense is not disclosing the dates for the aircraft's retirement from service—according to the ministry, the retirement schedule will remain classified to ensure the process proceeds efficiently.
There are also questions about the future of Tactical Air Base No. 22 itself, located east of the city of Malbork, where MiG-29 fighter jets are stationed. The Ministry responded that "Malkirk Airport is an important security infrastructure asset for Poland and will continue to operate, serving both helicopters and aircraft, including those of our allies."
According to the publication, the service life of the fighter jets was coming to an end in any case, regardless of the agreement with Ukraine: the aircraft are reaching the end of their flight-hour limits, and there are no plans to modernize them.
Transfer of Polish MiGs to Ukraine
- In December 2025, the Polish Ministry of National Defense and the General Staff announced their intention to transfer to Ukraine some of the MiG-29s that remained in service with the Polish Air Force.
- These fighter jets have been in service in Poland since 1989. They are currently being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft, but they are still carrying out combat missions.
- Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Poland is refusing to transfer MiG-29 aircraft, even though Ukraine had reached an agreement with NATO to send Alliance aircraft to Poland in exchange.
- Later, the country's Foreign Ministry responded that Poland would transfer its MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine once it receives replacements for them from its allies.
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki believes that the country could exchange MiG fighter jets for anti-drone technology in exchange for Ukraine.
- Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Vladislav Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Warsaw had offered Kyiv a "very cooperative approach"—an exchange of MiG-29s for drone technology. According to him, Ukraine initially agreed to this proposal but later refused to fulfill the terms of the agreement. He also suggested that the breakdown of the deal had political roots and was linked, in particular, to the escalation of Polish-Ukrainian disputes over historical issues.
