The government of Germany has approved a request by Poland to transfer five Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to help Ukraine defend against the Russian invasion.

In a statement on Friday; ‘I welcome the fact that we in the federal government have reached this decision together’.

Poland needs Germany’s consent to send its remaining jets to a third country.

Pistorius said the request from Poland had arrived on Thursday, adding that the same-day approval showed that ‘you can rely on Germany’.

Germany inherited 24 MiG-29 jets from the German Democratic Republic, or GDR, also widely known as East Germany, during reunification in 1990. At the time, the aircraft was seen as among the most advanced fighter jets in the world.

In 2004, the German government passed on 22 of the aircraft to neighbouring Poland. Of the remaining two jets, one was destroyed in a crash and one is on show at a museum.