Slovakia's neighbours to patrol its skies

Slovakia signed a deal on August 27 under which fellow NATO states the Czech Republic and Poland will police its skies as Bratislava withdraws its Soviet-made MiG-29s from service, potentially freeing up the old jets to send to Ukraine, Report informs via Reuters.

Slovakia has said it is ready to send the 11 MiG fighters to Ukraine, whose military has long relied on Soviet-era equipment and which has appealed for more supplies from NATO nations to boost its ability to battle invading Russian forces.

Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad told reporters at an air show on Saturday that Bratislava remained ready to send the planes to neighbouring Ukraine but no deal had yet been reached.

Western nations and their allies have been boosting military aid to Ukraine with cash, equipment and training in the more than six-month-old conflict with Russia.

Slovakia, with a population of 5.4 million, has already donated an S-300 air defence system, Mi-series military helicopters, self-propelled howitzers and Grad multiple-rocket launcher rockets. This week it said it would send 30 tracked infantry fighting BVP-1 vehicles.