MiG-29 in exchange for drones: Poland may transfer fighters to Ukraine in the coming weeks

This was reported by the Polish publication Wirtualna Polska, citing sources in the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense of Poland.

According to journalists, after lengthy negotiations, the parties have made significant progress. The preliminary agreement provides for the transfer to Ukraine of a batch of fighter jets that the Polish Air Force is gradually decommissioning, in return for Warsaw receiving a significant number of UAVs of various types and access to Ukrainian developments in the field of unmanned technologies.

These are aircraft that already have a significant service life. Previously, Poland even considered the possibility of decommissioning and recycling them.

Warsaw is particularly interested in Ukrainian experience and technologies for using strike drones. In particular, the Polish side is interested in communication systems, drone control principles, video footage of combat use, and samples of unmanned equipment.

According to WP, negotiations intensified after Rustem Umerov was appointed head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. Among the tasks assigned to him by President Volodymyr Zelensky is work on international agreements in the field of drones.

At the same time, Poland is still cautiously assessing the prospects for a final agreement. In particular, the Ukrainian company Fire Point allegedly offered Warsaw to supply 1,500 long-range UAVs, as well as a similar number in the event of a war.

The Polish side fears that in the event of a large-scale escalation, Ukraine may be forced to direct the produced drones primarily for its own needs.

Previously , Warsaw stated that a final decision on the transfer of the MiG-29 to Ukraine has not yet been made, but Poland allows such a step within the framework of the exchange agreement.