Poland nears swap of MiG-29s its army can’t use for Ukrainian counter-drone know-how
Warsaw’s offer has shrunk from up to nine jets to two, and Poland is weighing selling some of the rest, above all to Bulgaria.
On 10 November, Ukraine and Poland reached an agreement in Kyiv to establish working groups focused on drone and counter-drone technologies. Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk confirmed the deal via X, stating that Warsaw is currently finalizing the transfer of MiG-29s in exchange for Ukrainian drone and counter-drone technologies. This development comes nearly a year after the start of negotiations on the swap.
The news was first reported by Polish daily Rzeczpospolita on 29 October, when Defense Ministry planning chief Gen. Dariusz Łukowski informed the outlet that Poland had chosen to hand over two MiG-29s, citing their uselessness to the Polish army. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the two jets would be exchanged for unmanned systems. Ukraine stands to gain two MiG-29s rather than the nine originally discussed in January.
Tomczyk did not disclose the specific technologies Ukraine would be sharing or the timeline for the transfer. Prior to announcing the agreement, Tomczyk had emphasized Ukraine's commitment to providing Poland with necessary counter-drone technologies on the same day. However, Ukraine's Defense Ministry has yet to issue a formal statement on the matter.
The deal appears to have experienced several modifications since its initial proposal. In December 2025, Tomczyk had suggested that Poland could potentially transfer six to eight MiG-29s to Ukraine for drone technology. In January, Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski had proposed the number could rise to nine. However, by 15 June, Tomczyk announced that the MiG-29 transfers were temporarily on hold pending the conclusion of the technology transfer talks.
Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz later revealed that Ukraine had initially agreed to the arrangement, only to withdraw later and resume negotiations. By 11 July, Kosiniak-Kamysz reported that Poland was considering selling some remaining MiG-29s, primarily to Bulgaria. On the same day, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi confirmed Ukraine's efforts to acquire two MiG-29s.
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