Did Ukraine restored Azerbaijani MiG-29 fighter jets to protect its own skies against Russia?.

As reported by the X account Cloooud on September 3, 2025, a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet was recently photographed in a camouflage scheme associated with Azerbaijan, equipped with both R-27 medium-range and R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles. The image, which lacks a disclosed date and location, shows the jet in a standard air combat configuration and indicates that aircraft formerly tied to the Azerbaijani Air Force are now flying in Ukrainian service.
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As of February 24, 2022, three Azerbaijani Air Force MiG-29s were undergoing repairs and modernization at the Lviv facility. In March 2022, Russian strikes damaged the site, including the destruction of a large hangar, which initially prompted claims that aircraft there had been destroyed. (Picture source: X/Cloooud)

This aircraft could be linked to three Azerbaijani MiG-29s that were present at the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant on February 24, 2022, the day Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the time, there were conflicting reports suggesting that the jets had been destroyed during Russian missile strikes on the facility, but evidence later confirmed that at least one survived and was returned to flight. Furthermore, analysis of the available imagery shows no clear evidence of manipulation, though its authenticity cannot be fully verified.

The presence of the Azerbaijani-style paint scheme is consistent with known patterns on aircraft delivered to Baku, and the weapons load reflects standard MiG-29 capabilities, which combine the R-27 for beyond visual range engagements and the R-73 for short-range combat. The number of aircraft transferred to Ukraine has not been confirmed, but the evidence demonstrates that at least one has entered operational use. For Ukraine, the integration of even a small number of additional Fulcrum fighters provides an incremental but tangible boost to its air defense capabilities at a time when the Air Force has faced sustained losses of Soviet-era aircraft.

Ukraine’s MiG-29 fleet, inherited from the Soviet Union and later upgraded domestically to MU1 and MU2 standards, has remained central to its air defense throughout the war. At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, dozens were operational, though many required modernization. Ukrainian engineers, with U.S. assistance, adapted them to launch AGM-88 HARM missiles, expanding their role beyond air defense into suppression of enemy air defenses. Losses have been heavy, with at least 29 destroyed and three damaged by March 2025, but transfers from Poland and Slovakia provided additional airframes and spare parts. The Fulcrums continue to intercept drones, cruise missiles, and aircraft, operating alongside incoming F-16s as a bridging capability until Western fighters arrive in larger numbers.

The Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant has long been a critical hub for MiG-29 maintenance and modernization, not only for Ukraine but also for foreign customers, including Azerbaijan. On the day of the invasion, three Azerbaijani MiG-29s were undergoing servicing there, which left them vulnerable when Russian missiles struck the facility in March 2022 and destroyed at least one hangar. Initial claims that the aircraft were lost in those attacks were later disproven by visual confirmation of at least one surviving jet in flight under Ukrainian markings. The exact process by which the aircraft shifted into Ukrainian service is unclear. Reports diverge between those claiming unilateral requisition by Ukraine and others suggesting Azerbaijani consent, but there has been no official disclosure of whether they were donated, sold, or taken under emergency circumstances.

Since the start of the war in 2022, Azerbaijan has pursued a careful balance between Russia and Ukraine, signing partnership declarations with both countries just before the invasion. It abstained from UN votes condemning Russia, avoided sanctions, and expanded trade with Moscow, while at the same time sending humanitarian, energy, and demining aid worth tens of millions of dollars to Kyiv. Baku consistently voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, with Zelenskyy in turn backing Azerbaijan’s own claims. Military aid has been officially ruled out, though reports surfaced in August 2025 that this stance could be reconsidered after Russian strikes on Azerbaijani-owned energy assets in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan deepened energy ties with both Europe and Ukraine, supplying equipment and testing gas flows, thereby raising its role in regional energy security. Overall, its reaction has been one of neutrality in institutions, pragmatic cooperation with Russia, and tangible but non-lethal support to Ukraine.

Azerbaijan’s MiG-29 fleet itself has a history closely connected with Ukraine, since Baku purchased around 15 secondhand aircraft beginning in 2007 and repeatedly sent them to Lviv for overhaul and upgrades. The fleet was reported to include 11 single-seat fighters and three twin-seat trainers, with operational basing at Nasosnaya airbase. Over time, the aircraft were fitted with new avionics and, according to open sources, self-defense systems such as the Belarusian Talisman electronic countermeasures suite. The fleet also experienced setbacks, including a 2008 crash and a 2019 accident during a training flight over the Caspian Sea, both of which influenced later training and safety practices. Between 2015 and 2017, Azerbaijani Fulcrums took part in TurAz Falcon joint exercises with Türkiye, demonstrating their continued importance in the force structure before Baku began considering replacements such as the JF-17 Block 3.

The MiG-29, known by NATO as the Fulcrum, was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau during the 1970s to counter American fighters such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Its first flight took place on October 6, 1977, and it entered service in 1983, with over 1,600 built by 2019. The aircraft was intended as a lightweight counterpart to the Sukhoi Su-27, optimized for short-field performance, agility, and air-to-air combat effectiveness. More than 30 countries have operated or currently operate the type, and as of 2024, 809 were estimated to remain in service, making it one of the most common active fighters worldwide. Export customers received downgraded variants, but many later conducted upgrades to maintain combat capability.

The aircraft’s design features blended wing-body aerodynamics with leading-edge root extensions, twin vertical stabilizers, and a reinforced airframe stressed for high-G maneuvering. Power is provided by two Klimov RD-33 turbofan engines, each rated at 81.3 kilonewtons of thrust in afterburner, which give the fighter speeds exceeding Mach 2. Early production aircraft had an internal fuel capacity of 4,300 liters, with ferry ranges extended to 2,100 kilometers using external tanks, and later versions included in-flight refueling probes. Cockpits were initially analog but later upgraded with liquid-crystal multifunction displays and hands-on-throttle-and-stick controls in modernized variants. The original radar fit was the N019 Sapfir, later supplemented or replaced by improved systems such as the N019M Topaz and the N010 Zhuk-M, which provided better detection ranges and multirole capabilities.

Standard MiG-29 armament includes a single GSh-30-1 30 mm cannon and up to seven external hardpoints carrying around 4,000 kilograms of weapons. Air-to-air configurations typically include combinations of R-27 and R-73 missiles, and later upgrades introduced compatibility with R-77 beyond-visual-range missiles. Multirole-capable versions gained the ability to carry guided bombs and missiles such as the Kh-29, expanding the aircraft’s mission set. In Ukraine, adaptations were made during the war to fire U.S.-supplied AGM-88 HARM missiles from MiG-29s despite their analog avionics, reportedly through improvised tablet-based interfaces. Modern variants like the MiG-29M, MiG-29K carrier version, and MiG-35 continue to evolve the design with enhanced sensors, fuel capacity, and survivability, ensuring that this long-serving airframe remains operational and effective.