Polish Armed Forces Say MiG-29 involved in Accident, Denies Media Claim of Friendly Fire

The Polish Armed Forces General Command (Dowództwo Generalne Rodzajów Sił Zbrojnych or DGRSZ) said today that a MiG-29 jet was involved in an accident last month, but denied media claims that it shot another fighter jet.

“During training at Nadarzyce in mid-May this year, the MiG-29 aircraft was not shelled. Flights were being carried out by the crews of the 22nd Tactical Air Base in Malbork when an air incident occurred, but it was not a situation where one plane fired at another. After landing, a technician found damage to the lower part of the MiG-29’s fuselage. The damage is being investigated by the State Aviation Accident Investigation Commission,” the joint command of the Polish Armed Forces, responsible for the combat training and readiness, supply, personnel and technical complement of military units of the armed forces during peace and crisis, said in a statement today.

Earlier, a report by Onet.pl claimed that one of the MiG-29 pilots shot at another fighter from its 30mm gun “accidentally” during routine exercises. It quoted another pilot saying that if a bullet of this caliber hit the cockpit fairing, it would break the pilot’s head.

The Polish Armed Forces also confirmed that the “MiG-29 aircraft involved in the incident is now fully operational.”