Poland will deliver up to nine of its ageing MiG fighter jets to Ukraine to help Kyiv defend itself against Russia, a deputy defense minister has told TVP World.
In an exclusive interview for the On the Record program, Paweł Zalewski said: “The decision [of the government] has been made.”
Military commanders said in December that discussions were underway on a potential agreement that would see Poland receive Ukrainian-developed drone technologies in exchange for the Soviet-era MiGs.
Zalewski said: “We are waiting for the answer of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Discussions are ongoing... these are completely technical discussions.”
Pressed on whether Ukraine has agreed to accept Poland’s offer, Zalewski indicated that Kyiv is on board. “I believe... Ukrainians made the decision to accept this offer. Of course, there are some technical aspects which shall be clarified, as always,” he added.
Zalewski said the initial delivery would comprise “less than ten” planes.
In December, Cezary Tomczyk, another Polish deputy defense minister, said “six to eight” Soviet-era jets were coming to the end of their operational life in Poland’s military and could be transferred to Ukraine in a possible military tech swap deal.
While Warsaw has already supplied tanks, artillery and ammunition to Ukraine, the transfer of fighter aircraft marks a new area of military assistance.
Poland has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia in 2022.
Zalewski stressed that technical details of the MiG transfer, including logistics and maintenance, are being finalized.
Minister backs Russian soldier ban
On another front, the minister backed Estonia’s decision to ban Russian veterans from obtaining tourist visas and vowed to raise the issue at EU level.
“Definitely,” he said when asked if Poland would demand similar measures. “I will talk to my colleagues responsible for that in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
The announcement comes amid reports that Schengen states granted 500,000 visas to Russian citizens in 2025—100,000 more than the previous year.
Zalewski also addressed NATO’s future and Poland’s reliance on the U.S. for security guarantees.
“There is no NATO without the United States,” he said, dismissing speculation about a “Plan B” for European defense. “The European Union is not a competitor to NATO. We see in practice how Americans behave—there is no need to concentrate on Plan B.”