Image Credentials: Image Title: Poland Considers Sending Final MiG-29s to Ukraine in Exchange for Drone Secrets Source: (sora.openai) Date: December 2025. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
WARSAW, Poland – Poland is engaged in ongoing negotiations with Ukraine regarding the transfer of additional Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, contingent on Kyiv providing crucial drone and missile technologies, the Polish General Staff announced this week.
The proposed transfer is framed by Poland as a move to divest from aircraft that lack “prospects for further modernization” within the Polish Armed Forces, according to a statement posted by the General Staff on social media platform X.
The negotiations involve a reciprocal exchange: Poland will send its remaining MiG-29s to Ukraine, where they are used for tactical strikes against Russian ground targets. In return, the General Staff confirmed that talks are underway with Ukraine “regarding the provision of certain drone and missile technologies to Poland.”
This exchange signals a shift in Poland’s strategic goal. The aim is not simply to “compensate for the loss of equipment, but primarily to acquire and jointly develop new defense and industrial capabilities,” the General Staff wrote.
The transfer follows a prolonged period of deliberation. Although the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated last year that the remaining jets would be transferred once replacements were secured, Poland’s Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz had previously explained that the aircraft were needed to protect Polish airspace.
The roles currently fulfilled by the retiring MiG-29s will be assumed by modern, Western-sourced aircraft, specifically the newly acquired F-16 and FA-50 jets. Poland recently showcased its advanced air capabilities when its modern F-35 fighters were used to shoot down 19 Russian drones over Polish territory, underscoring the drive to fully modernize the nation’s fleet.
The donation aligns with NATO’s stated policy of supporting Ukraine and simultaneously strengthens the eastern flank of the Alliance by accelerating Poland’s transition to newer platforms.
The potential transfer comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted in 2024 that, despite agreements with NATO, Poland had not yet delivered its older MiG-29s. If the current negotiations over technology transfer are finalized, Poland’s final stock of the aircraft will soon be heading to the Ukrainian air force.