The Slovak government approved sending MIG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on Friday, stepping up its military assistance to Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion.

Slovakia is the second country to send war planes to Kyiv after Poland, which announced on Thursday it would do so.

Its fleet of 11 MiG-29 planes was retired last summer and most of them are not in operational condition. It will send those that are operational and the rest will go for spare parts.

Slovakia will also supply part of its KUB air-defence system, Heger said.

NATO allies in the former communist east such as Poland and Slovakia have been particularly vocal supporters of Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

On Thursday, Poland announced it would send Ukraine four MiG-29 fighter jets in coming days, making it the first of Kyiv’s allies to provide such aircraft.

Western countries that have provided Ukraine with arms have so far declined to send fighter jets.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)