The Czech Republic and Poland will keep the airspace of neighboring Slovakia as the NATO member country bids farewell to its Russian-made MiG-29s, the Slovak Defense Ministry announced on Saturday (August 27th).
An agreement on the protection of Slovak airspace by Czech and Polish air forces was signed by Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad, together with his Czech counterparts Jana Cernochova and Polish Mariusz Blaszczak.
“
The agreement will enter into force on September 1, when the Slovak MiG-29 fighter jets are
grounded,” Defense Ministry spokeswoman Martina Koval Kakascikova said in a statement.
Earlier, the ministry announced that it would decommission the MiGs as their maintenance had become very expensive and Russian personnel were gradually leaving Slovakia.
In April, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said his country might send the MiG-29s to Ukraine, but no details were given.
On August 14, Jaroslav Nad denied reports that Slovakia had already handed over the devices to Ukraine, adding that no final decision had yet been made.
The Czech Republic and Poland will protect Slovak airspace until US F-16 fighter jets are supplied to Slovakia to replace the MiG-29s.
Their purchase was concluded in 2018 and delivery is scheduled for 2024.
