Poland halts MiG-29 delivery to Ukraine over unfulfilled drone technology deal

A deal that stalled

Poland has not handed over additional MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, deputy defence minister Cezary Tomczyk told Radio ZET on Monday, 15 June. The current government agreed with Kyiv on a technology transfer that would give Poland access to Ukrainian drone and anti-drone capabilities in exchange for the remaining aircraft. That agreement has not been finalised ("nie została dopięta"), and until it is the jets will stay in Poland.

We did not hand over MiG-29s to Ukraine. The previous PiS government handed over the fighters and that matter was raised publicly. However, the current government has not handed over MiG-29s to Ukraine. We agreed with the Ukrainian side on a technology transfer. If that matter is settled, the matter of the fighters will end in success.

What Poland wanted in return

The proposed exchange was framed as a two-way transaction from the start. Poland would retire its remaining Soviet-era MiG-29s (in service since 1989 and nearing the end of their structural life) and Ukraine would share battlefield-proven drone know-how. Defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz argued in December 2025 that the arrangement benefited both militaries: Poland would gain expertise from a country with unrivalled operational drone experience, while Ukraine would receive airframes it could still use.

The relationship of solidarity must be a two-way relationship. Just as we train Ukrainian soldiers — almost 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers trained in Poland — so now we also benefit from drone training. Ukrainians are the best at drones of all the countries with which we have positive relations. Nobody is as experienced, so it is worth taking advantage of that, and the MiGs will soon no longer serve in the Polish Air Force.

The political row from December

When the plan was first announced in late 2025 it triggered a political clash between the government and the presidential palace. President Karol Nawrocki said he had not been informed about the decision. Kosiniak-Kamysz denied that. Marcin Przydacz, head of the presidential International Policy Bureau, criticised the defence minister and told him to do a "rachunek sumienia" (examination of conscience). The dispute centred as much on decision-making protocol as on the substance of the transfer.

What the fleet transition looks like

The MiG-29s are being withdrawn because further overhauls no longer make economic sense. Their operational tasks are being taken over by FA-50 light combat aircraft, upgraded F-16s, and the incoming F-35 fleet. In January 2026 deputy minister Paweł Zalewski said a decision had been made to transfer fewer than 10 additional MiG-29s, and a Ukrainian inspection team had already examined the machines. Fourteen MiG-29s were delivered to Ukraine under the previous Polish government, according to the OSW arms-delivery tracker; Slovakia sent another 13.

The wider aid picture

Poland remains one of Ukraine's largest military backers. A Chancellery of the Prime Minister report from October 2025 listed 318 tanks and 586 other armoured vehicles delivered between 2022 and 2024, alongside training for nearly 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Tomczyk stressed that the dialogue with Kyiv continues and that Warsaw still intends to finalise the deal — but only once the technology component is nailed down.

Dialogue is ongoing between Poland and Ukraine. The Poles have said clearly: since we are building our drone capabilities, we would also like to be able to use Ukrainian capabilities. Of course we will hand over the equipment to Ukraine if that matter is settled. Nothing has changed on this matter; the matter has not been settled.