“A Concrete Offer Is on the Table”: Poland Evaluates Ukraine’s MiG-29 Drone Swap

Ukraine has submitted a formal proposal to Poland offering to exchange domestic combat drones for Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, the Polish news agency PAP reported on July 30.

Speaking on Radio ZET, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka confirmed that Kyiv presented a concrete offer detailing the specific types of drones it could transfer in exchange for the aircraft. The proposal, which has been under review for several days, followed renewed negotiations after earlier talks stalled over technical and financial terms.

“A concrete answer has been on the table from the Ukrainian side regarding what drones they can provide in exchange for the MIGs,” she stated.

Sobkowiak-Czarnecka noted that Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will make a final determination within a maximum of a few weeks after defense analysts complete their assessment, PAP reported.

Addressing concerns regarding maintenance costs, the deputy defense minister clarified that Ukraine is not asking Warsaw to finance repairs for the jets.

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“Today we are talking about an exchange, meaning we send the MiGs,” Sobkowiak-Czarnecka stated, adding that while Poland remains prepared to repair the aircraft if requested, any associated costs would need to be covered by Kyiv or foreign allies.

She emphasized that the proposal currently on the table represents a direct equipment exchange rather than a financial transaction, according to PAP.

The proposed exchange aligns with Warsaw’s efforts to phase out its aging fleet of Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighters, which have been in service since 1989 and are gradually being replaced by modern FA-50 light combat aircraft and F-35 stealth fighters, PAP noted.

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Poland has previously transferred over a dozen MiG-29s to Ukraine to bolster its air capabilities against Russian aggression. In return, Poland seeks access to Ukraine’s battlefield-tested drone technologies and joint manufacturing capabilities, including recent initiatives supported by the European Union’s SAFE mechanism and partnerships between Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and Ukrainian defense producers.

The proposal follows weeks of stalled negotiations over Poland’s remaining Soviet-era fleet, where questions persisted over whether the aircraft were fully combat-ready or required extensive restoration before being deployed.

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