EditUkraine submits concrete drone-for-MiG-29 proposal to Poland amid talks over remaining fighters
Kyiv faces pressure after Bulgaria shows interest in buying the ageing jets for spare parts
Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has confirmed that Ukraine has submitted a specific proposal for an exchange involving Polish MiG-29 fighter jets and Ukrainian drones.
Deputy Defence Minister Paulina Sobkowiak-Czarnecka stated on 31 July 2026 that Kyiv had returned to the negotiating table and provided a “concrete proposal” detailing which unmanned aerial vehicles it is prepared to transfer in return for the Soviet-era aircraft. She expressed hope that a final decision would be taken within the next few weeks by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
When asked why Poland was not selling the MiG-29s to Bulgaria – which had previously expressed interest – Sobkowiak-Czarnecka replied that Warsaw is currently in talks with Ukraine. She clarified that the current offer is a straightforward exchange: “We transfer the MiGs, and the Ukrainian side transfers drones.” Poland remains willing to assist with any modernisation of the aircraft if Ukraine requests it, but the core proposal on the table is jets for drones.
The issue of transferring Poland’s remaining MiG-29s has been under discussion for months. Poland had earlier indicated readiness to hand over up to nine of the aircraft (part of a larger residual fleet of around a dozen) as it transitions to more modern fighters. In exchange, Warsaw sought access to Ukraine’s advanced drone technology, know-how and, in some formulations, a portion of the drones themselves.
In late June 2026, Kosiniak-Kamysz publicly stated that the transfer would not proceed because Ukraine had, in Poland’s view, withdrawn from the earlier understanding on drone cooperation. “There will be no MiGs for Ukraine because there are no drones or drone-related capabilities for Poland,” he said at the time. Negotiations later resumed, with Polish officials noting that Ukraine had come back to the table.
Poland already transferred a significant number of its MiG-29s to Ukraine shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The remaining jets have continued to serve in the Polish Air Force while being gradually replaced. Ukraine, for its part, has developed a large and sophisticated domestic drone industry that produces systems used extensively on the battlefield and, according to Polish officials, also exported to markets including the Middle East.
The latest Ukrainian offer comes against a backdrop of fluctuating bilateral defence cooperation. While Poland remains one of Ukraine’s key military supporters, relations have experienced strains in recent months over historical issues and questions of reciprocity in military-technical assistance.
No details have been released on the exact number or types of drones Ukraine has offered, nor on the precise number of MiG-29s under discussion in the current proposal. A final decision rests with the Polish defence minister and is expected in the coming weeks.
Bulgaria is interested in the Polish MiG-29s primarily as a source of spare parts (and potentially the aircraft themselves) to keep its own aging Soviet-era MiG-29 fleet airworthy for NATO air-policing duties until its new F-16 Block 70 fighters become fully operational.
Poland tells Ukraine to strike MiG deal “within the coming weeks” or Bulgaria gets the jets
The article in Ukrainian by EUalive’s partner Suspilne can be found here.
Caption: A Polish Mig-29 fighter jet [Shutterstock]
Updated: July 31, 2026 - 06:12
