Ukraine to strip old Russian MiGs to repair own jets

The Ukrainian government will soon confiscate over 800 units of property belonging to the aggressor state Russia and its residents, among which are seven non-operational Russian MiG-25 jets, reports the Ministry of Economy press service. A presidential decree to enforce a decision by the National Security and Defense Council will allow the confiscation of over 800 units of movable property, including around 500 rail cars, platforms, tankers, and more; an oil tanker; over 300 cargo and passenger vehicles; tank trucks; construction equipment; and aircraft engines. The seven MiG-25 fighter jets will be seized and used for spare parts for Ukrainian combat aircraft, the ministry stated. First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko said significant work has been done to verify the assets owned by Russia on Ukrainian territory and validate the data. “Ukraine must have impeccable legal positions in case the aggressor appeals to international judicial bodies,” she remarked. Svyrydenko added that the movable property - railcars, trucks, special equipment - will either work for Ukraine's economy or strengthen the defense capability of the state on the front lines. Under the law “On Basic Principles of Forced Seizure in Ukraine of Objects of Ownership of the Russian Federation and its Residents,” the confiscation is carried out without any compensation or reimbursement, the ministry explained. However, some interesting and unclear details remain, notes Defense Express. The announcement did not specify the number of construction equipment units or aircraft engines subject to seizure. Most curiously, it is unknown where the seven Russian MiG-25 fighter jets came from or what specific components could be salvaged from them and used on Ukrainian aircraft. The MiG-25 was retired from service by both Ukraine and Russia in the late 1990s. One possibility is that these are seven MiG-25s that underwent repairs at a Ukrainian defense company in the 1990s but were never claimed by the Russian Defense Ministry, which failed to pay for the work. By 2019, these aircraft allegedly remained at the Ukrainian company. But this is merely speculation, and the real circumstances are unclear. Nonetheless, questions remain about which types of combat aircraft could use spare parts from the MiG-25, since both countries rejected and decommissioned this aircraft model over 25 years ago. Related: 

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