Russia has threatened to destroy any fighter fighters provided to Ukraine by its allies, two of which have already pledged aircraft.
On Friday, Slovakia became the second NATO nation to pledge MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine, a day after Poland.
The aircraft in Slovakia’s fleet was grounded last year and are no longer in use.
Ukraine has requested modern aircraft from Western nations, but due to lengthy training requirements, these are only viewed as long-term options.
A year after Russia’s incursion, it considers additional aircraft crucial for its defenses and potential counterattacks.
Ukrainian pilots are trained to operate aircraft such as the Soviet-era MiG-29, which is being considered for shipment by other NATO nations.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, criticized the plans, stating that the aircraft would have no impact on the outcome of Moscow’s “special military operation,” as it refers to the conflict.
He stated that they would only “bring Ukraine and the Ukrainian people additional hardships.”
“Of course, all of this equipment will be destroyed during the special military operation,” the spokesman added.
Ukraine, which has more pilots than aircraft, will benefit from Polish and Slovak pledges, but not significantly.
The Ukrainians assert that they require F-16 fighters made in the United States.
Senior Ukrainian defense adviser Yuri Sak asserts that the fourth-generation fighters have superior capabilities.
As it would take time to train Ukrainian pilots on Western aircraft. It remains unlikely that Ukraine will receive them, at least for now.
Western military officers continue to be skeptical of contemporary combatants. Their primary objective is to aid Ukraine in prevailing on the ground.
The Ukrainian air force is much smaller than the Russian air force, but the Ukrainians cannot rule the skies.
Prime Minister Eduard Heger of Slovakia tweeted on Friday that his government had sanctioned sending 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine.
He said “promises must be kept” and was glad others were reacting to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s arms request.
It is unknown how many of Slovakia’s aircraft are operational.
Mr. Heger stated that Slovakia would also transfer a portion of its Kub air defense system to Ukraine.
On Thursday, Poland pledged to send four MiG-29s in the coming days, but additional aircraft are anticipated.
Poland has broken through a barrier with its pledge of Leopard tanks. A year ago, no one was willing to take this step.
Russian media reports that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu awarded decorations to pilots involved in an incident earlier this week prompted news of the assurances.
Washington has condemned the Russian actions, in which one of the Su-27 aircraft allegedly collided with the drone, as irresponsible, whereas Moscow claims the drone malfunctioned on its own.
