“Russia threatens to destroy Ukraine jets following pledges from Poland and Slovakia”

Russia has issued a stern warning, threatening to destroy any fighter jets provided to Ukraine by its allies, after Slovakia and Poland promised to give planes to Kyiv.

On Friday, Slovakia became the second NATO country to pledge some MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine, a day after Poland made a similar promise. It’s worth noting that Slovakia’s fleet was grounded last year and no longer uses the jets.

Ukraine has requested modern jets from Western countries, but these are only seen as long-term options due to the long training times involved. In the meantime, Kyiv views additional aircraft as crucial to its defence and potential counter-attacks, a year into Russia’s invasion.

Other NATO countries are reportedly considering sending planes such as the MiG-29, which is a model that dates back to the time of the Soviet Union and which Ukrainian pilots are already trained to fly.

Russia has been increasingly vocal in its opposition to Ukraine receiving military support from its Western allies. Just last month, Moscow warned NATO against military aid to Ukraine and threatened consequences for those who disregard its warnings.

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia began in 2014 when Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Since then, a low-level conflict has persisted in eastern Ukraine, with Ukrainian troops fighting Russian-backed separatists.