Slovakia is signaling a plan to hand over MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine in the coming weeks, according to statements from the acting prime minister. Eduard Heger indicated that the move is part of Bratislava’s ongoing support for Kyiv, with details on what the republic will receive back in return not being disclosed publicly. This disclosure aligns with earlier reporting from teraz.sk, which captured the government’s broad framing of the decision without delving into the precise compensation package.
In a broadcasted appearance, the head of Slovakia’s government emphasized the decision’s strategic nature while withholding specific information about the compensatory equipment or terms tied to the transfer. The government has kept the potential exchanges and quid pro quo to a minimum in public briefings, focusing instead on the overarching policy direction and the political signaling behind the action.
The transfer agreement was described as an intergovernmental arrangement during discussions involving key diplomats, including Jaroslav Nagy, Slovakia’s deputy minister of defense, and Miroslav Kastran, the Ukrainian ambassador to Bratislava. The agreement reportedly includes the transfer of 13 MiG-29 fighter jets, alongside two air defense missile systems known domestically as Cube, with both items destined for delivery to Kyiv.
Nagy has suggested that Slovakia is seeking roughly $900 million as compensation for contributing the aircraft to Ukraine. The figure, if realized, would form part of a broader diplomatic and defense-facing dialogue about how NATO partners share resources in the face of ongoing regional tensions and security commitments.
In the Ukrainian camp, Yuriy Ignat, a representative of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, weighed in on the matter. He framed the MiG-29s being discussed for transfer by Poland and Slovakia as aging platforms that may face limitations against modern cruise missiles and drones. Ignat’s remarks reflect an ongoing assessment within Kyiv about the current and future effectiveness of Western-supplied air power assets, even as Kyiv continues to seek additional capabilities from its partners.
Taken together, the announcements and counterpoints illustrate a complex balance of alliance solidarity, defense readiness, and the practical realities of maintaining and upgrading military inventories in a rapidly evolving security landscape. The Slovak government has positioned the potential sale and associated compensation within a broader strategy of allied burden-sharing, while Kyiv evaluates how new hardware complements its air defense and strike capabilities in the broader theater of combat operations in the region.