In the U.S., the Fate of Old Moldovan MiG-29s is Linked to Ukraine 0 29

The U.S. may have transferred old MiG-29s, acquired from Moldova in the 1990s, to Ukraine for spare parts, writes Brandon Weichert, a columnist for the American magazine 19FortyFive.

The author notes that Washington was concerned about the transfer of MiG-29s, which are capable of supersonic speeds and can serve as carriers of nuclear weapons, to third countries, and therefore purchased 21 aircraft from Moldova. In the U.S., these fighters have become indispensable for crew training and assessing their combat readiness, as the columnist points out.

Weichert mentions that in recent years there have been rumors that some of the MiG-29s purchased by the Americans were received by Ukraine. "It is believed that these older MiG-29s, acquired by the Americans from Moldova, were subsequently handed over to the Ukrainians, who used the aircraft for spare parts," the publication states.

In August 2024, Peter Suciu, a columnist for the American magazine The National Interest, reminded that in 1997 the U.S. used funds from the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (Nunn-Lugar program) to purchase 21 Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters from Moldova, as they were concerned about their acquisition by Iran.