The ministry said the warplanes were transported overland for security reasons in a “complicated logistics operation," the Associated Press reported
The first four were flown from Slovakia to Ukraine by Ukrainian pilots on March 23.
“We are doing the right thing,” Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said in a statement.
On March 17, the Slovak government approved a plan to give Ukraine its entire fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 planes, becoming the second NATO member to answer Ukraine’s plea for warplanes to help defend against Russia’s attack.
Slovakia grounded its MiGs in the summer due to a lack of spare parts and maintenance expertise. Neighboring Poland and the Czech Republic, both NATO members, stepped in to monitor Slovak air space.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since then, the United States and Ukraine's other allies have sent Kyiv tens of billions of dollars' worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems.
Western countries have also imposed coordinated economic sanctions on Moscow. The Kremlin has said the sanctions and the Western military assistance will only prolong the war.
MNA
Your Comment