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Strengthening the aviation capabilities of Ukraine’s Defense Forces through the transfer of Polish MiG-29s, development of “small” air defense, and joint participation of Ukraine and Poland in defense projects and European mechanisms are among the key directions of cooperation between the two countries.
Further development of cooperation in these areas was discussed by Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov and Poland’s Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
MiG-29s — an important element of protecting our skies
“We separately discussed the transfer of MiG-29s to Ukraine — an important component of protecting our skies. Poland already transferred such fighters in 2023. We will jointly work on their modernization to improve efficiency in striking enemy targets”, — Mykhailo Fedorov noted.
As ArmyInform previously reported, Poland became one of the first partner countries to provide Ukraine with combat aircraft in April 2023.
Thus, Poland effectively opened the path for Western partners to supply Ukraine with combat aviation.
A key part of the process was international coordination. Germany, in particular, provided official permission for Poland to re-export MiG-29s that had previously been in service with the former East German National People’s Army.
Besides their military significance, the transfer of the fighters was also a political and symbolic step demonstrating high trust and strategic partnership between Ukraine and Poland.
Strengthening “small” air defense
“Polish technologies are already an important part of our ‘small’ air defense. We are ready to further develop cooperation and expand radar coverage”, — Fedorov said.
“Small” air defense consists of mobile and short-range systems used to counter aerial threats such as strike drones, low-flying cruise missiles, and mass-use targets.
Its key task is to secure close-range defense lines and protect troops, cities, and critical infrastructure from low-altitude attacks — one of Russia’s main tactics in the large-scale war.
Ukraine’s experience in countering Shahed drones is valuable to partner states, including Poland. Cooperation aims to reinforce the components that ensure daily protection from massive air attacks.
“On our side, we are ready to share Ukrainian solutions — particularly in countering Shaheds. Battlefield data and our practical experience can help enhance the capabilities of the Polish military”, — Fedorov emphasized.
Joint defense projects and European mechanisms
Fedorov highlighted the role of the NATO–Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Center (JATEC) in Poland as a platform for analyzing warfare experience and implementing NATO standards.
PURL is a European mechanism supporting and implementing joint defense projects aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s resilience and defense capabilities.
Cooperation between Ukraine and Poland is increasingly focused not only on supplying weapons but also on joint defense projects and European mechanisms enabling scalable production and technological solutions.
The JATEC Center in Poland serves as an institutional platform for systematic analysis of wartime experience and knowledge exchange between Ukraine and NATO members.
Poland’s participation in PURL, development of joint drone-focused defense projects, and JATEC’s activities create a unified architecture of defense cooperation combining European mechanisms, Ukraine’s battlefield experience, and NATO standards.
This cooperation is strategically important both for strengthening Ukraine’s defense capability and for its integration into the Euro-Atlantic security space.
“Poland plays a key logistical role — about 90% of international assistance, including aid for strengthening Ukraine’s energy resilience, passes through its territory”, — Fedorov emphasized.
