Slovakia will most likely send its combat aircraft to Ukraine next month. In exchange, the country plans to receive either funds from the European Union or military equipment from NATO, write RTV.
With the beginning of the war, the Slovaks had a serious problem with the repair of their Soviet MiG-29 aircraft. These planes are already 30 years old, and should be decomissioned in the near future. The Ministry of Defense of Slovakia has repeatedly complained that it is almost impossible to find a buyer for such equipment.
Therefore, at the end of August, these planes will be written off and a way to get rid of them will be decided. The Ministry of Defense estimates the cost of one aircraft at €300 million.
"Our interest is that these planes go to Ukraine. Therefore, a scenario is possible that Slovakia will provide Ukraine with aircraft and receive something of adequate value in return from another country, which it needs for its defense," said the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Defense of Slovakia Martina Koval Kakaschykova.
- Soviet aircraft are to be replaced by American F-16 fighters, but they will not arrive in the country until 2024. For this, Slovakia asked the Czech Republic to patrol its skies, and the Czech government agreed. The Czechs agreed to protect the airspace of Slovakia until the end of 2023. They will start doing it in September. The Slovaks sent the same appeal to Poland. All the details of such an agreement will be fixed in a joint declaration of Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.