Russia threatens to destroy Ukraine jets after Poland and Slovakia pledges

Russia has threatened to destruct immoderate combatant jets fixed to Ukraine by its allies, aft 2 countries promised planes.

Slovakia became the 2nd Nato state to pledge Kyiv immoderate MiG-29 craft connected Friday, a time aft Poland.

Slovakia's fleet was grounded past twelvemonth and it nary longer uses the jets.

Ukraine has asked Western countries for modern jets, but due to the fact that of agelong grooming times, these are seen lone arsenic semipermanent options.

It sees other craft arsenic important for its defences and imaginable counter-attacks, a twelvemonth into Russia's invasion.

Other Nato countries are considering sending planes specified arsenic the MiG-29 - a exemplary which dates from the clip of the Soviet Union - which Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the plans, saying that the craft would not impact the result of Moscow's "special subject operation", arsenic it calls the war.

He said they would lone "bring further woes for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people".

"Of course, during the peculiar subject operation, each this instrumentality volition beryllium taxable to destruction," the spokesperson added.

The Polish and Slovak pledges are a affirmative determination for Ukraine - which has much pilots than planes - but volition not marque a decisive difference.

Yuri Sak, a elder Ukrainian defence adviser, says the fourth-generation fighters person amended capabilities.

It inactive seems improbable that Ukraine would get them - astatine slightest for now, arsenic it would instrumentality clip to bid Ukrainian pilots connected Western jets.

Western subject officers stay sceptical astir modern fighters. Their absorption is connected helping Ukraine triumph the conflict connected the ground.

The beforehand lines are swamped with aerial defence systems connected some sides. The Russian aerial unit is overmuch bigger than Ukraine's and it hasn't been capable to summation power of the skies.

At the commencement of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine was believed to person astir 120 combat susceptible craft - chiefly ageing MiG-29s and Su-27s.

He said "promises indispensable beryllium kept" and that helium was gladsome others were answering Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's telephone for much weapons.

It is not wide however galore of the Slovakian planes are operational.

Mr Heger said Slovakia would besides nonstop Ukraine portion of its Kub aerial defence system.

On Thursday, Poland pledged 4 MiG-29s, to beryllium sent successful the coming days, but much are expected to follow.

As with its pledge of Leopard tanks, Poland has breached a barrier. This was a measurement no-one was prepared to instrumentality a twelvemonth ago.

News of the pledges came amid Russian media reports that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had decorated pilots progressive successful an incidental earlier this week .

Washington has condemned the Russian actions, successful which it says 1 of the Su-27 jets clipped the drone, arsenic reckless, but Moscow says the drone failed connected its own.