The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has announced it is conducting the first test flights of MiG-29 fighter jets previously based in Crimea. The aircraft were not airworthy after Russia returned them, requiring major repairs and the replacement of missing components.
The planes belonged to the 204th Air Brigade, previously stationed in Crimea until its occupation by Russian forces. The planes were repaired by the Lviv State Air Workshops and airforce staff, mostly from the unit previously stationed in Sevastopol. Single-seat MiG-29 no. 28 was the first to fly on Thursday, July 31st. One day later, a flight of the repaired double-seated MiG-29UB was conducted.
The aircraft started to undergo repairs immediately after they were transported from Crimea. The work was long and complicated as only the planes that were not airworthy were allowed to be transported by the Russians. Most of them were seriously incomplete. 37 MiG-29 and MiG-29 UB fighters and one modernized training aircraft LM-39M1 Albatros were transported from the Belbek airbase between April and the first half of June. They all required repairs and were not capable of flying. 9 MiG-29 aircraft of various versions and 3 Albatroses are still in the airbase in Crimea. Most of them are probably airworthy.
[hr] Source: defense24.plEdited by Alya Shandra
