Evidence Suggests Ukraine Operating Former Azerbaijani MiG-29s
New evidence has emerged that Ukraine may have replenished its fleet of MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters with aircraft from Azerbaijan, and the appearance of photos of MiG-29s in distinctive Azerbaijani camouflage has sparked a wave of discussion about the origin of these aircraft.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to The War Zone.
There is some evidence that Ukraine has added to its fleet of MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets with aircraft from Azerbaijan. A photo circulating online shows a Ukrainian MiG-29 in distinctive Azerbaijani camouflage and with combat weapons. Although the possibility of the photo being fake cannot be ruled out, there is currently no evidence to suggest that it is inauthentic.
Any addition of this type of aircraft is valuable to the Ukrainian Air Force, which has already received some MiG-29s from Poland and Slovakia.
Back in 2022, it was reported that several Azerbaijani MiG-29s were undergoing repairs in Lviv and remained in Ukraine after the start of the full-scale war.
There is reason to believe that some of the Azerbaijani MiG-29s undergoing repairs in Lviv probably survived the Russian strike on the aircraft factory in March 2022. This enterprise was key to servicing MiG-29s for both Ukrainian and foreign customers, including Azerbaijan.
It is currently unknown how these aircraft ended up in Ukraine's arsenal — whether they were transferred, sold, or effectively confiscated. It is also possible that some of them could have been repainted in Ukrainian camouflage to conceal their origin. Additionally, there are assumptions that Azerbaijan provided Ukraine with other “unofficial” assistance in the form of high-precision bombs, 82-mm mortars, and fuel.
It is important to note that Ukraine's use of former Azerbaijani MiG-29s came amid escalating tensions between Baku and Moscow. The situation deteriorated sharply after the arrests and brutal treatment of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Russia this summer, which led to protests and official accusations by the Kremlin of killing Azerbaijani citizens.
An additional blow to relations was the accidental shooting down of an Azerbaijani Airlines plane by the Russian military in 2024. Against this backdrop, Azerbaijan is increasingly demonstrating its support for Ukraine, which could signal a strategic reorientation of the country.
Interestingly, Azerbaijan received its fleet of MiG-29s from Ukraine: about 15 used aircraft were purchased and repaired in Lviv in 2007, later modernized and used in joint exercises with Turkey.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has ordered the allocation of funds equivalent to US$2 million to the country's Ministry of Energy for the purpose of providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.