The United States has purchased 81 of the 117 aircraft that the Kazakh government put up for sale in October through offshore intermediaries at an auction, which was intended to buy Soviet-made aircraft.
Kyivpost reports on the possible reasons for this decision.
The report notes that Kazakhstan has been gradually replacing its outdated fleet of Soviet-made combat aircraft with more modern versions for several years.
That is why in October it was announced that the government of Kazakhstan had put up 117 Soviet-era fighters and bombers for sale at an auction. These are MiG-31, MiG-27 fighter-bombers, MiG-29 fighters and Su-24 bombers produced in the 1970s and 1980s.
It is added that the declared sale price is one billion tenge (approximately 1.5 million dollars).
In addition, it is noted that the aircraft are in an unserviceable condition, and their modernization is considered economically inappropriate, and they would also be of little use as a source of spare parts.
Despite this, it has been reported that the United States recently purchased 81 aircraft through offshore companies, including MiG-27, MiG-29, and Su-24 aircraft. The reason for this decision is unknown, but according to Kyivpost, it is assumed that since all these types of aircraft are in service in Ukraine, they may be transferred later. There is also a possibility that the Ukrainian military will disassemble them or try to use the old planes as decoys at airfields.
Earlier, we wrote when F-16 fighters would arrive in Ukraine.