Poland needs F-35s before dispatching MiG-29s to Ukraine, says minister

Poland will only consider donating more of its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine once replacement F-35s on order from the United States arrive, said Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“I know that Ukraine needs many types of weapons, but our partners in Ukraine also need to understand that the Polish state must maintain its capabilities,” Kosiniak-Kamysz told a press conference on Tuesday.
Warsaw has already lodged an order for 32 new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets as part of a $4.6 billion deal but deliveries aren’t expected to start until 2026.
“Only after receiving the new aircraft will it be possible to dispose of the old aircraft, such as MiG-29s, which are still being used, in particular, for the protection of Polish airspace ” said Kosiniak-Kamysz. “Only then will we make a decision.”
While donated F-16 fighter jets are also now flying in Ukraine, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the military needs more Soviet-era MiGs to police the skies since Kyiv’s pilots already know how to operate such fighters.
Poland, Germany and Slovakia have already sent some older twin-engine MiG-29s to Ukraine though some of those were only used to source spare parts.
The first Polish F-35A fighter, named Husarz, is due to leave the production plant today; a high-ranking Polish delegation is in the U.S. to witness the roll-out.
The first batch of six fighters will be sent to the Ebbing Air National Guard base in Arkansas, where Polish pilots will undergo training.