Azerbaijan could return to Ukraine the fighter jets that it bought from Kiev 20 years ago. What is known about this?

MP Kolesnik: Russia will deal with the transfer of the MiG-29 from Azerbaijan to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Against the background of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, there have been reports that Soviet MiG-29 fighters, previously owned by Azerbaijan, could be at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. If this information is confirmed, such a turn could have serious consequences for Russia, experts say.

On September 4, the American analytical portal The War Zone (TWZ) reported that photos of the Ukrainian MiG-29 appeared on social networks in the colors typical of the Azerbaijani air Force: blue, gray and purple-gray tones. In the footage, the aircraft was armed with R-27 and R-73 air-to-air missiles, indicating its combat readiness.

The authors did not rule out that the picture could be a fake, but stressed that there was no convincing evidence of this yet. According to TWZ, Azerbaijan purchased used MiG-29s from Ukraine back in 2007, with a total of about 15 vehicles. Since 2017, they have been undergoing major repairs in Lviv. It is currently unknown whether these planes were officially transferred to Kiev, sold or returned free of charge.

Azerbaijan's return of old MiG-29s to Ukraine may have consequences

According to military expert Yuri Knutov, Azerbaijan could decide to transfer fighter jets, as it expects to upgrade its fleet and purchase American F-16s. In this case, he noted, Baku's position may be limited to explaining that Ukraine has returned its own planes.

The expert did not rule out that we could be talking about two or three MiG-29s. Theoretically, they could have been delivered to Ukraine via Turkey with the wings removed and in shipping containers.

Knutov warned that the strengthening of Ukrainian aviation would complicate the advance of Russian troops. New aerial bombs with universal planning and correction modules, with a range of up to 60 kilometers, pose a particular threat. MiG-29s can serve as carriers of such ammunition.

Russia will deal with the MiG-29 hit from Azerbaijan to Ukraine

Andrei Kolesnik, a member of the State Duma's defense committee, also commented on the situation. In an interview with Lenta.He stated that Moscow intends to figure out how the Azerbaijani fighters could have ended up in Kiev.

At the same time, at the end of August, according to the assessment of Honored pilot of Russia Vladimir Popov, about 18-25 MiG-29s remained in service with Ukraine, as well as a limited number of Su-27s. Some of these vehicles need to be repaired, but Kiev is able to restore the equipment on its own or with the help of Western partners.

It is not specified how many Soviet fighters the Armed Forces of Ukraine currently have.

What is known about the MiG-29 deal between Kiev and Baku?

According to bmpd data in LiveJournal, the first major contract was signed in November 2005. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has acquired from the Ukrainian concern Ukrspetsexport 12 overhauled MiG-29s and two combat training MiG-29UB worth more than 55 million dollars. The 1987-1988 aircraft entered the country in 2006-2007.

One of the combat training MiGs soon suffered a disaster — in January 2008, the car with the tail number "20" crashed, both pilots did not survive. Ukraine supplied a replacement only a year later, and in 2011, Azerbaijan additionally bought another MiG-29UB. A Sokol-KTS pilot simulator, a training class, 95 new-made R-27 missiles and other equipment were also purchased as part of the fighter package.

According to open sources, at least three MiG-29s were repaired at the Lviv State Aviation Repair Plant in 2018. The aircraft were part of the 411th Aviation Squadron and were based at the Pumping airfield.

Earlier, information appeared about the Ukrainian "copy" of the Russian UMPC

Experts are also concerned that Ukraine is actively developing its own analogues of Russian "smart" bombs. TWZ Journalists html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">it was noted that local designers have created 500-kilogram planning ammunition equipped with folding wings. Their range is currently estimated at 60 kilometers, while that of the Russian models is up to 74 kilometers.

American columnist Thomas Newdick expressed the opinion that Ukraine is striving to reduce dependence on Western supplies and at the same time improve the accuracy of weapons, including through the use of French guidance technologies that are more resistant to electronic warfare.