Poland hands Ukraine two more MiG-29s: 'Don't mourn equipment that could go for scrap'

Two MiG-29s in a new package

Poland will soon transfer two more MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Warsaw announced on 29 October that the aircraft will be part of a new military aid package worth around €50 million, which also includes ammunition and air defence equipment. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, according to Interfax-Ukraine, confirmed that work on acquiring the jets is under way.

On Friday, 30 October, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz explained the decision at a briefing at the 12th UAV base in Mirosławiec. He said the two MiG-29s are being withdrawn from service because their service life has ended, so they would no longer be usable by the Polish military.

“The choice is obvious”

The minister hit back at critics of the transfer. “I see this lamenting and various Russian propaganda being spread by certain political circles. Don’t mourn equipment that will either go to an army defending itself against an invader or could have gone for scrap. If that is the choice, the choice is probably obvious,” he said, as quoted by Ukrinform. Instead of the MiGs, Kosiniak-Kamysz said, the Polish army will receive unmanned systems.

He also stressed that Ukraine has the greatest experience in using drones among the countries “on the side of good”, and that Poland should make use of that experience.

Bulgaria may buy the remaining MiGs

As for Poland’s other MiG-29s, the minister said selling some of them is being considered. Bulgaria has expressed interest — the issue was the main item in talks with Bulgaria’s prime minister and defence minister during their visit to Warsaw in September. Former Polish defence minister Janusz Onyszkiewicz told Ukrinform that if no deal is reached with Sofia, Warsaw could return to the idea of handing the remaining MiGs to Ukraine.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also announced that the first US-made MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone will be delivered to the 12th UAV base in January.

Bulgaria joins NATO initiative against low-flying threats

On the same day, according to the Bulgarian outlet Novinite cited by Ukrinform, Bulgaria joined a NATO initiative to detect and counter low-flying aerial threats. The defence minister signed a note making the country a participant in a memorandum previously signed by the defence ministers of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Romania, Sweden and Turkey.

The initiative targets threats flying below 150 metres — cruise missiles, drones and guided bombs. It focuses on building the ability to detect, identify, track and neutralise such targets using advanced platforms, sensors and effectors. Cooperation covers joint procurement and joint capability development. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) will conduct market research and prepare a catalogue of existing and emerging solutions. The document still has to be ratified by Bulgaria’s parliament.

Why it matters for Ukraine

The experience of countering drones and cruise missiles that Ukraine has gained during the war increasingly shapes decisions by European armies — from Poland’s shift towards unmanned systems to joint NATO procurement against low-flying targets. For Ukraine, every additional aircraft and air defence package matters ahead of winter, as Russia intensifies strikes on the energy system.

What next

Poland has not given a date for the MiG-29 transfer. Details of the €50 million package may be clarified once formal procedures are completed.