Israel will assist Ukraine in modernizing MiG-29 fighter jets, said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ukraine Oleksandr Myroniuk, reports the news website Military Review. According to Myroniuk, the modernization is scheduled for 2021. It is expected that after modernization the Ukrainian Air Force will be able to use these aircraft until 2035.

According to Myroniuk, after modernization, the aircraft "will have additional capabilities to defeat ground targets." Accorfing to him, the fighters will be turned into universal combat vehicles with new assault functionality. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry expects that after modernization the aircraft will be able to use precision-guided munitions. 

As part of the deal, Su-27 fighter jets and Su-25 attack aircraft will also be upgraded. As a result, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the life of these aircraft will be extended until the mid-2030s.

In December 2019, the Middle East Monitor, a non-profit press monitoring organization, citing the head of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress's public diplomacy project, Ariel Bulstein, reported that Jerusalem and Moscow were following an unspoken agreement to restrict arms transfers to third countries deemed hostile.

According to Bulstein, this is the reason why Georgia did not receive some Israeli weapons, and Iran did not receive Russian weapons. He noted that in recent years Russia has at least twice responded to Israel's request not to sell the latest types of weapons to the Ayatollah regime.

At the same time, the Israeli prime minister's aide did not answer the journalists' question about the supply of Israeli weapons to Ukraine. Earlier, he assured that at the request of the Russian side, the Israelis refused to provide military technology to Kyiv. The Israeli media reported that these statements of Bulstein caused dissatisfaction with Netanyahu.

  Israel, MiG-29, Ukraine

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