BERLIN

Germany has approved Poland’s request to deliver MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine, Spiegel magazine reported on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed that Berlin received Warsaw’s official request, and he promised that the government would announce its decision soon.

Warsaw needed Berlin’s approval as the Soviet-era fighter jets were handed over to Poland from former East German stocks in 2004.

Poland, a strong ally of Kyiv, has so far delivered eight MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine from its own stocks.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said last week that Warsaw is “ready” to deliver six more MiG-29 fighter jets.