German capital, April 13 (Reuters) - The German defense ministry said on Thursday that Germany has granted Poland's request to send five outdated MiG-29 fighter planes to strengthen Ukraine's air force against the Russian incursion.
The Polish defense ministry did not respond right away.
The request was received on Thursday, according to German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, and Berlin's prompt acceptance proved that it could be trusted.
When East Germany and West Germany reunited in 1990, Germany received 24 MiG-29 aircraft from the GDR. The planes were among the most cutting-edge fighter jets in existence at the time.
Berlin transferred 22 of the planes to Poland in 2004. One of the two remaining jets was destroyed in a collision, while the other is on display at a museum.
To deploy its remaining aircraft to a third nation, Poland requires Berlin's approval.
When visiting Warsaw last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared that Poland will join a coalition of Western nations to provide Kyiv with airplanes.
In order to defend against airstrikes, Ukraine, which plans to launch a counteroffensive in the upcoming weeks or months, wants to acquire fighter planes.
While some nations have stepped in to give Ukraine's existing MiG-29 fighter planes, Western nations have so far been unwilling to lend sophisticated fighter jets like F-16s to Kyiv.
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