The Slovak government has decided to hand over several Soviet MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Prime Minister Eduard Heger said this after an extraordinary cabinet meeting in Bratislava. Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad specified that it is about ten complete machines that have not been used since last summer.

In addition, the neighboring country attacked by Russia was also supplied with three machines without an engine for salvage and other spare parts, ammunition and part of the Kub air defense system. Earlier, Poland had announced the delivery of fighter jets of the same type MiG-29.

Nad stated that "helping Ukraine save lives" is a priority. He told the TASR news agency: "This is the main reason why we are giving Ukraine the MiGs, which we can no longer use anyway."

Moscow: NATO members increase involvement in the conflict

The Kremlin criticizes the announced fighter jet deliveries as an escalation. "It goes without saying that this technology is subject to destruction as part of the military special operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Interfax news agency.

From Peskow's point of view, the fighter jets cannot change the course of the war. They would only bring additional hardship to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, the 55-year-old said.

"This is just one more example of how a number of NATO member countries are increasing their direct involvement in the conflict," Peskow commented on reports about the planned arms deliveries.