Russia calculated that it would remain a secondary factor on the battlefield, limited by a shortage of devices, accumulated wear and tear, and the constant pressure of electronic warfare. That assumption is beginning to break down.
The combination of MiG-29 fighters from Poland and its integration with Western precision munitions is allowing Ukraine to exert constant and surgical air pressure on the
At the end of 2025, Warsaw publicly discussed the possibility of releasing an additional six to eight MiG-29s, already retired from active service. It would not be an isolated gesture.
In 2023, Poland had already transferred fourteen units to Ukraineestablishing something more important than a simple donation: a stable channel of spare parts, maintenance, technical documentation and accumulated experience. This invisible infrastructure is what now multiplies military value of each additional aircraft.
Immediate advantage: familiar aircraft, new weapons
Unlike other Western systems that require long adaptation processes, Polish MiG-29s can enter combat almost immediately. Ukraine has been operating this model for decades and has both fully qualified pilots and ground staff, eliminating common conversion delays.
Furthermore, these fighters do not arrive “empty.” Polish and Ukrainian modernization programs They have prepared them to use Western guided weapons, with wiring, pylons and avionics interfaces already integrated. This allows a familiar platform to be combined with high-precision munitions such as AASM Hammer bombs.
Among the key advantages of this formula are:
- Almost immediate incorporation into operational service.
- Use of Western guided munitions without complex redesigns.
- High precision against high value point targets.
- Less prolonged exposure to Russian anti-aircraft defenses.
- Ability to repeat attacks on the same sector in short windows.
The result is an aviation that does not seek to dominate the sky, but rather to accurately punish the enemy’s errors.
Hit before the attack starts
On the northern border, Ukrainian MiG-29s are used to abort Russian raids before they even begin. Ukrainian intelligence detects concentrations of troops still in the preparation phase, often revealed by operational security failures: active telephones, visible antennas or repeated traffic of vehicles towards the same building.
Geolocated images show attacks in which a single precision bomb hits houses used as meeting points or command posts, collapsing the structure and eliminating the assembled personnel. The effect is not only tactical, but also operational: the raid is canceled and reserves must be redeployed, diluting the Russian offensive effort along the border.
Pokrovsk, Uspenivka and Zaporizhia: the same pattern, different objectives
Around Pokrovsk, Russia still relies on massing large groups of assault troops before launching them into combat. That concentration is brief, but sufficient. Ukrainian airstrikes focus precisely on that period, destroying meeting buildings and forcing Moscow to start again and again, losing time, men and momentum.
On the flanks, lMiG-29s attack secondary routes and key junctions, detected thanks to repeated movement patterns revealed by Ukrainian drones. A single impact can open a crater, blocking any coordinated maneuver and forcing longer, more exposed detours.
Cerca de Uspenivka, This logic was applied to bridges and fortified roads after the settlement was captured. By destroying the crossings, the Russian advance was reduced to slow movements through the mud, largely on foot.
Further south, towards Zaporizhzhia, the goal is to prevent Russian FPV drone operators from getting close enough to threaten the city. MiG-29s attack bases, shelters and staging points as soon as they appear, demolishing buildings before units can dig in.
The main targets of this air campaign are:
- Assault troop concentration points.
- Temporary command posts.
- Approach routes and key junctions.
- FPV drone control bases and equipment.
- Critical infrastructure for the Russian offensive rhythm.
The loss of drone operators, in particular, has a disproportionate impact: they require months of training and cannot be replaced quickly.
A pressure that does not end
The Polish contribution is not measured only in numbers, but in continuity. Each additional MiG-29 allows repeat precise attacks on the same Russian weak points, again and again, just when the enemy is most vulnerable. It is not a classic air superiority, but a smart war of attrition, where every Russian mistake can turn into a collapsed building.
If more fighters arrive in time, the Russian offensive will continue to meet the same fate: Detected concentration, precise impact and progress reduced to rubble.
