Mikoyan MiG-29

Russian aircraft corporation RSK MiG has warned it would stop abiding by its maintenance obligations with regard to the MiG-29 jets in service with the Bulgarian Air Force.

The Bulgarian government approved at its regular meeting on Wednesday the intergovernmental agreement on the repair of the country's MiG-29 fighter jets by Poland.

Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev and his Polish counterpart Tomasz Siemoniak signed the agreement on the repair of the fighter jets on October 22.

Russian aircraft corporation RSK MiG has said it could challenge an agreement for the repair of Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 jet fighters by Poland because the deal violated the company's rights.

During his two-day official visit to Poland, Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev and his Polish counterpart Tomasz Siemoniak signed in Warsaw on Thursday the agreement on the repair of Bulgaria's MiG-29 fighter jets.

Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev is in Poland on Wednesday and Thursday to finalize a deal for the repair of engines of Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets.

Bulgaria will sign a deal for the repair of the engines of its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets with Poland on Thursday, the Defence Ministry in Sofia announced on Tuesday.

Russia will stop the maintenance of Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29s, if the government in Sofia signs a deal with Poland for the repair of their engines, Sergei Korotkov, Director General of the jets' Russian manufacturer MiG Corp., said on Friday.

Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev expressed hope that parliament will ratify the contract with Poland on the repair of Bulgaria's MiG-29 fighter jets in the next one-two weeks.

Nenchev said in Brussels on Thursday that both Bulgaria and Poland will sign the contract once it is ratified, private bTV station quoted him as saying.

Bulgarian Air Force Commander Brig Gen Rumen Radev on Wednesday called for the urgent acquisition of new multirole aircraft.

Brig Gen Radev also warned in an interview with public broadcaster BNT on Monday evening that the government's move to have MiG-29 fighters' engines overhauled in Poland was only a temporary solution to the Air Force's problems.

The Bulgarian government has given Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev a mandate to sign a deal under which the engines of six MiG fighter jets will be overhauled in Poland.

After the cabinet's move, Parliament is yet to ratify the agreement which sparked controversy in Bulgaria and also outrage from Russian manufacturer RSK MiG.