Poland Considers Final MiG-29 Transfer to Ukraine in Exchange for Drone Technology Access.

Poland is negotiating the possible transfer of its last MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine in return for access to selected Ukrainian drone and missile technologies, according to the Polish General Staff. The talks signal a shift toward fully Western aircraft in Polish service and highlight how Ukraine’s wartime innovations are reshaping NATO’s industrial base.

The General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces announced on 10 December 2025 that Warsaw is negotiating a potential transfer of its remaining MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine in exchange for access to selected Ukrainian drone and missile technologies, with the deal framed as part of allied support to Kyiv and security for NATO’s eastern flank. A final decision has not yet been announced, but the Polish military makes clear that the legacy Soviet fighters are approaching the end of their operational life in Polish service and are not candidates for further modernization.
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Poland's retiring Mig-29 retains strong point defense performance, combining twin RD-33 engines for high thrust, Mach 2 class speed, and agile low altitude handling with a 30 mm cannon and mixed R-27 and R-73 air-to-air missiles, making it a valuable quick reaction platform for Ukraine despite its age (Picture source: U.S. DoW)

Poland’s defense minister has confirmed that the talks center on MiG-29s that will soon leave the Polish inventory, stating that tasks now performed by the type will migrate to F-16 and FA-50 fleets as Warsaw continues its transition to fully Western combat aviation. Earlier in the war, Poland already handed over the first tranche of MiG-29s to Ukraine, meaning the latest discussions concern the last remaining airframes that once formed the backbone of Polish air defense.

The MiG-29 remains a capable point defense fighter in the kind of low altitude, high threat environment Ukraine faces. The twin-engine Fulcrum, powered by two RD-33 afterburning turbofans, offers high thrust-to-weight, a top speed of around Mach 2.25, and a ceiling of roughly 18,000 meters. Its armament suite typically combines a 30 mm GSh 30-1 internal cannon with up to six air-to-air missiles, including R-27 medium-range radar or infrared guided weapons on the inner pylons and agile R-73 dogfight missiles on the outer stations. The aircraft can also carry unguided rockets or bombs for ground attack. Polish aircraft underwent incremental avionics improvements over the years, adding NATO-compatible radios and enhanced navigation systems that improved their reliability in multilateral missions.

For Ukraine, these jets are valuable even if they are not fifth-generation platforms. Ukrainian pilots already fly the MiG-29, training pipelines and maintenance infrastructure exist, and the aircraft has been adapted to employ certain Western weapons following earlier donations. In a contested airspace dominated by dense ground-based air defense, Ukraine’s immediate requirement is for survivable launch platforms for precision weapons, rapid response interceptors against cruise missiles and glide bomb carriers, and additional airframes to offset wartime attrition. The MiG-29, with its short field performance and strong acceleration, meets those needs while Kyiv integrates F-16S more gradually into frontline operations.

On the other side of the ledger, Poland is asking not only for equipment compensation but also for access to technology that can lock Ukraine’s wartime innovation into Polish and NATO industry. Ukrainian officials have publicly estimated that the domestic industry produced more than a million FPV and other drones in 2024, with plans to significantly expand output in 2025. These range from expendable FPV loitering munitions used at the company level to larger long-range drones capable of penetrating deep into adversary territory. Combat conditions have transformed Ukraine into a live development center for AI-assisted targeting, electronic warfare-resistant communications links, modular warheads, and rapid production methods tailored for mass employment.

By securing access to Ukrainian designs, software, and opportunities for joint production, Poland aims to accelerate its own drone and missile industrial base. Such technologies can feed directly into artillery units, territorial defense formations, and coastal security forces preparing for high-intensity conflict. This emerging fighters for drones model reflects a wider industrial logic: Poland would hand over aircraft that no longer fit its evolving force structure, while Ukraine uses one of its strongest wartime advantages, mass-produced and combat-proven unmanned systems, as currency to acquire critical manned aircraft.

For NATO, the arrangement would keep the MiG-29 flying where it is most needed over Ukraine’s front lines while allowing the alliance’s eastern flank to absorb and amplify Ukrainian battlefield innovation within its own defense industries. If concluded, it would stand as a rare instance in which a legacy Soviet fighter avoids retirement and is instead converted, through Ukrainian drones and missile technologies, into a long-term reinforcement of European deterrence.