Russian technicians seem to have sabotaged MiG-29 fighter jets en path to Ukraine, Slovakia says

A Yugoslav Air Drive Mig-29 fighter flies over Belgrade throughout a patrol responsibility in June 1998. SASA RADIC / ASSOCIATED PRESS

• Russian technicians seem to have sabotaged MiG-29 jets en path to Ukraine, Slovakia’s protection minister mentioned.

• The issues appeared solely in components that the Russians have been engaged on, the minister mentioned.

• Slovakia provided Ukraine its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets late final month.

Russian technicians seem to have sabotaged MiG-29 fighter jets en path to Ukraine, Slovakia mentioned.

The technicians, who labored at a Slovakian air pressure base till the tip of 2022, had entry to the jets and seem to have broken some components earlier than supply to Kiev.

Based on The Kyiv Unbiased, Slovakia’s Protection Minister Jaroslav Nad mentioned the jets “are airworthy, however that doesn’t imply they’re combat-capable.”

Nad added that the defects within the jets “occurred solely within the components that have been entered by Russians”.

The technicians have been employed on a long-term contract to hold out main repairs on Soviet-era jets, the Kyiv Unbiased famous.

Nad added that Ukraine has the sources to repair the deficiencies and get the jets totally operational.

“They’ve pilots, spare components and an organization that has been engaged on MiGs since Soviet instances,” he mentioned.

Weeks in the past, Slovakia and Poland pledged to ship fleets of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. The 2 NATO members pledged that the extra air pressure would assist Kiev battle Russia’s unprovoked warfare that has stretched out for greater than a yr.

The Soviet-designed jets differ little from Ukraine’s MiG-29s, and a few are reportedly solely helpful as spares.

Ukrainian officers have been pushing western international locations for extra fashionable jets just like the F-16.

The Biden administration has repeatedly mentioned the US is just not planning fighter jets.

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