PanamaTimes

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Kremlin threatens to destroy Ukraine jets after Poland and Slovakia pledges

Kremlin threatens to destroy Ukraine jets after Poland and Slovakia pledges

The Kremlin has threatened to destroy any fighter jets given to Ukraine by its allies, after two countries promised Soviet-era planes.
Slovakia became the second Nato country to pledge Kyiv some MiG-29 aircraft on Friday, a day after Poland.

Slovakia's fleet was grounded last year and it no longer uses the jets.

Ukraine has asked Western countries for modern jets, but because of long training times, these are seen only as long-term options.

It sees extra aircraft as important for its defenses and possible counter-attacks, a year into Russia's invasion.

Other Nato countries are considering sending Soviet-era planes such as the MiG, which Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly.

This is a positive move for Ukraine - which has more pilots than planes - but will not make a decisive difference.

The Ukrainians say what they really need is US-made F-16 fighters.

Yuri Sak, a senior Ukrainian defense adviser, says the fourth-generation fighters have better capabilities.

That still seems unlikely - at least for now, as it would take time to train Ukrainian pilots on Western jets.

Western military officers remain skeptical about modern fighters - their focus is on helping Ukraine win the battle on the ground.

The front lines are swamped with air defense systems on both sides. The Russian air force is much bigger than Ukraine's and it hasn't been able to gain control of the skies.

News of the deliveries came amid Russian media reports that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had decorated pilots involved in an incident earlier this week which led to a US drone crashing into the Black Sea.

Washington has condemned the Russian actions, in which it says one of the Su-27 jets clipped the drone, as reckless, but Moscow says the drone failed on its own.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the plans by Nato countries, saying that the aircraft would not affect the outcome of Moscow's "special military operation", as it calls the war, but only "bring additional woes for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people".

"Of course, during the special military operation, all this equipment will be subject to destruction," he added.

At the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine was believed to have about 120 combat capable aircraft - mainly ageing MiG-29s and Su-27s.

On Friday, Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger tweeted that his government had approved sending the country's 13 MiG-29s.

He said "promises must be kept" and that he was glad others were answering Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for more weapons.

He said Slovakia would also send Ukraine part of its Kub air defense system.

On Thursday, Poland pledged four MiG-29s, to be sent in the coming days, but more are expected to follow.

As with its pledge of Leopard tanks, it has broken a barrier. This was a step no-one was prepared to take a year ago.

It is not clear how many of the Slovakian planes are operational.
Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Brazilian Congress Rejects Lula's Proposed Tax Increase on Financial Transactions
Landslide in Bello, Colombia, Results in Multiple Casualties
Papa Johns pizza surge near the Pentagon tipped off social media before Trump's decisive Iran strike
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Sole Survivor of Air India Crash Recounts Escape
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Protests Erupt in Los Angeles with Symbolic Flag Burning
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
Builder.ai Faces Legal Scrutiny Amid Financial Misreporting Allegations
Japan Grapples with Rice Shortage Amid Soaring Prices
Goldman Sachs Reduces Risk Exposure Amid Market Volatility
HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker to Return to AIA as Non-Executive Chair
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Judge Blocks Trump's Ban on International Students at Harvard
Trump Proposes Travel Ban on 'Uncontrolled' Countries
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Eurozone Inflation Falls Below ECB Target to 1.9%
Call for a New Chapter in Globalisation Emerges
Blackstone and Rivals Diverge on Private Equity Strategy
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Escalating Trade Tensions and Market Reactions
OnlyFans Reportedly in Talks for $8 Billion Sale
JBS Gains Shareholder Approval for U.S. Stock Listing
Booz Allen Hamilton to Cut 2,500 Jobs Amid Federal Spending Reductions
Trump Signs Executive Orders to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Development
Harvard Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Ban
Nippon Steel Forms Partnership with U.S. Steel, Headquarters to Remain in Pittsburgh
Trump Expands Tariff Threats to Apple and Samsung Devices
Oracle and OpenAI Plan $40 Billion Nvidia Chip Purchase for AI Data Center
×