WARSAW --- Poland has provided Ukraine with 10 MiG-29 aircraft, Mariusz Błaszczak, Polish Deputy PM and Minister of Defence said during his visit in Canada.
Mariusz Błaszczak was responding to a journalist’s question regarding Polish deliveries of fighter jets for Canada. During the conference, both Błaszczak and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand also mentioned the Leopard Coalition regarding the deliveries of Leopard 2 Main Battle Tanks to Ukraine.
Poland has so far sent 14 Leopard 2A4s to Ukraine, while Canada has sent eight. The tanks delivered by Canada were flown to Poland by Canadian Air Force C-17s ahead of training and delivery to Ukraine.
Poland and Slovakia are two countries that have officially donated Soviet-Era fighter jets to Ukraine. Poland has provided 10, while Slovakia 13, including four in an operational condition.
As of now, there is no decision to provide Ukraine with modern Western jets, such as F-16, Gripen or F/A-18 Hornet, although Kyiv has repeatedly requested deliveries of newer fighters to enhance its defence capabilities against Russian aircraft, which increasingly employ long-range weapons fired from outside the engagement envelope of most of Ukrainian Ground Based Air Defence Systems.
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