US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia’s ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says

[Pelican Press 0]

US buys 81 *******-era combat aircraft from Russia’s ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says

• The US has purchased 81 *******-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reports.

• Kazakhstan, a historic ally of Russia, is engaging more with Western nations.

• The planes could be used for spare parts or deployed as decoys in conflict regions, the Post said.

The US has acquired 81 obsolete *******-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the

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reported.

Kazakhstan, which is upgrading its air fleet, auctioned off 117 *******-era fighter and bomber aircraft, including MiG-31 interceptors, MiG-27 fighter ********, MiG-29 fighters, and Su-24 ******** from the 1970s and 1980s.

The declared ***** value was one billion Kazakhstani tenge, said the Post, or $2.26 million, equalling an average value for each plane of $19,300.

The US purchased 81 of the aged, unusable warplanes, said the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA, per the Post.

The motive behind the US purchase ******** undisclosed, said the Post, but it raised the possibility of their use in Ukraine, where similar aircraft are in service.

The ***** was made through offshore companies, said

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Given Ukraine’s continued

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, the aircraft could either serve as a source of spare parts or be strategically deployed as decoys at airfields, said the Post.

The Mikoyan MiG-31 was a supersonic interceptor designed to defend ******* airspace, according to

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. It played a critical role during the Cold War.

Derived from the MiG-23,

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was a ground-******* aircraft and saw action in conflicts like the *******-Afghan War. The MiG-29 excelled in air-to-air combat. It was widely exported and ******** in service with some air forces.

Despite its age, the

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— an all-weather tactical bomber — ******** in service with several air forces, including the Russian Aerospace Forces and Ukrainian Air Force.

MiG-31Russian Defense Ministry

Kazakhstan, formerly part of the ******* Union, has maintained close ties to Russia and historically was one of its strongest allies. But the relationship has shifted since Russia invaded Ukraine, with Kazakhstan aligning itself more with the West, drawing the fury of some in Russia.

The Central ****** country’s efforts to upgrade its military capabilities coincide with its increasing engagement with Western nations, signaling a shift away from historical ties with Moscow, per the Kyiv Post’s analysis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at Ak Orda Presidential Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, on February 28, 2023.Olivier Douliery/Pool Photo via AP

Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kazakhstan in March 2023, where he said that the US strongly supports “its independence, its territorial integrity,” according to

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.

Some of Russia’s outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan following its invasion of Ukraine.

One Russian TV commentator, Vladimir Solovyov,

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that his country “must pay attention to the fact that Kazakhstan is the next problem because the same ***** processes can start there as in Ukraine.”

Agreements on trade, education, environment, and mineral supplies reflect the deepening ties between Kazakhstan and Western nations as it navigates geopolitical challenges posed by neighboring countries like Russia, China, Afghanistan, and Iran.

Correction: April 28, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the currency conversion rate of the Kazakhstani tenge to the dollar. One billion tenge is worth $2.26 million, not $1.5 million.

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Kyiv Post,Kazakhstan,combat aircraft,Russia,Kazakhstan,Ukraine,Russia invaded Ukraine,*******-era,Ukrainian Air Force,Western nations,bomber aircraft
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