A MiG-29 fighter jet has been spotted over Ukraine bearing Ukrainian insignia but still painted in the camouflage of the Azerbaijani Air Force. This raises the question of how it ended up in Ukraine, as no official transfer between the two countries has been announced.
For starters, we need to recall that, before russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, three Azerbaijani MiG-29s were undergoing overhaul at the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant in western Ukraine. Footage published merely a month before the invasion shows them on-site, far from being completed, but still with Azerbaijani roundels.
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When the russian forces marched in, the plant became a priority target for russian long-range strikes, as both Ukrainian and foreign aircraft were serviced there. It was speculated that the hangar housing the Azerbaijani fighters was destroyed.
Yet, this new photo suggests at least one — and possibly all three — survived, were relocated to a safer place just before the attack or at some earlier point. Afterwards, they just stood idly or had their repairs quietly completed.
MiG-29 fighter jet in Azerbaijani camo, now in service of the Ukrainian Air Force.As of February 24, 2022, three MiG-29s operated by the Azerbaijani Air Force have been undergoing repairs and modernization at the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant in western Ukraine.Their… pic.twitter.com/lY2Xyahg2U — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) September 3, 2025
For over two years, no sign of a MiG-29 in Azerbaijani camouflage surfaced in Ukrainian service, until now. The sudden reappearance strongly suggests that Azerbaijan either formally transferred ownership of the jets or gave tacit approval for Ukraine to use them, given they could not realistically be returned during wartime anyway.
This development also coincides with a sharp decline of Azerbaijani–russian relations recently. First, russia shot down an Azerbaijani civilian aircraft, then a wave of arrests of Azerbaijanis with a hint of political motive spread across russia, creating a rift between Baku and Moscow. This could have influenced the decision on letting Kyiv put these fighters to use.
In practical terms, Ukraine's Air Force may have gained up to three additional MiG-29s. While a modest reinforcement, it is still significant amid ongoing attrition.
As of 2022, Azerbaijan's Air Force had 15 MiG-29s: 14 acquired in 2006–2007 and one MiG-29UB in 2009 — interestingly, all purchased from Ukraine. Another notable detail is that in 2021, Azerbaijan also bought Israeli I-Derby ER air-to-air missiles for the fleet.
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