Slovakia closes case on transfer of MiG-29 fighters and “Kub” air defense system to Ukraine
The Slovak prosecutor’s office has officially closed the investigation into the transfer of MiG-29 fighters and part of the “Kub” air defense systems to Ukraine. This was reported by Noviny.sk with reference to the prosecutor’s office.
The Bratislava Regional Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that there are no signs of a criminal offense in the actions of the interim government led by former Prime Minister Eduard Heger. The investigation also found that the transfer of military equipment did not harm the state and did not have any signs of personal benefit for members of the government.
“The investigator terminated the criminal prosecution conducted on suspicion of committing the crime of breach of duty to manage someone else’s property in one act in conjunction with the crime of abuse of power by a civil servant, since there is a sufficiently substantiated conclusion that this act is not a criminal offense, and there are no grounds for referring the case”, the prosecutor’s office noted.
Former Defense Minister Jaroslav Nagy, who signed the arms transfer agreement, stated that the prosecutor’s office’s decision confirmed the legality of his actions:
“We acted in the national interests of Slovakia and fully in accordance with the law. I expect an apology from those who have been groundlessly accusing me for years.
The current Minister of Defense Robert Kaliniak called the prosecutor’s office’s decision “shocking” and emphasized that the previous government “left Slovakia insufficiently defensive at a dangerous time”. At the same time, the investigation of two other cases related to the transfer of ammunition is ongoing – they are still at the stage of preparatory proceedings.
Let us recall that in March 2023, the interim government of Slovakia under the leadership of Eduard Heger decided to transfer 13 MiG-29 fighters and parts of the “Cube” systems to Ukraine. Already in April of the same year, Kyiv received all the promised aircraft.
In June 2024, the Slovak Ministry of Defense initiated criminal proceedings against Heger and former Defense Minister Jaroslav Nagy in connection with the transfer of this weaponry to Ukraine.
