Poland has paused plans to supply its remaining Mikoyan MiG-29 combat aircraft to Ukraine due to an unresolved agreement on drone technology sharing.
Warsaw’s Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk verified the delay in an interview with local media outlet Radio ZET, saying that the handover has not yet been executed as the swap hinges on the autonomous systems partnership.
Poland expects Kyiv to follow through on commitments to reciprocal access in drone-related solutions, which the NATO country views as critical as it expands its own unmanned arsenal.
“The Poles have made it clear: as we build our drone capabilities, we would also like to be able to use Ukrainian capabilities, and we will transfer the equipment to Ukraine if the deal is finalized. Nothing has changed in this regard,” Gazeta.pl quoted Tomczyk as saying.
Talks Continue
The bilateral cooperation was announced last year, when both countries approved Poland’s trade of up to nine MiG-29s for Ukrainian drone and missile systems.
The jets are nearing the end of their service life and are being phased out as the Polish Armed Forces modernizes its fleet with Western platforms, including FA-50, F-16, and F-35 airframes.
Previous Polish administrations have already delivered several MiG-29s to Ukraine as part of military aid following Russia’s invasion in 2022. As of December 2025, the NATO member is reportedly left with about 14 of the Soviet-era jets in its inventory.
Negotiations on the latest MiG-29 deal remain ongoing, with no timeline announced for completing the arrangement.
