Some states whose armed forces have operated military aircraft that date back to Soviet times have donated them to Ukraine. Kazakhstan is taking a different approach, offering decommissioned fighter jets on the open market through an auction.

The state-owned company Kazspetsexport was commissioned to hold an auction in which a total of 117 military aircraft of the types MiG-27, MiG-29, MiG-31 and Su-24 are available. According to documents, these were manufactured between 1975 and 1989. The starting price was set at the equivalent of $3,85 million.

The documents also explain the comparatively low price, because it is clear that most of the machines are in such poor condition that they are no longer even suitable as spare parts donors. Numerous fighter jets were parked in the open air for many years without any technical support and were left to rot. One or two “souvenirs” were also taken.

According to reports, only a few MiG-31s ​​are in reasonably good condition, as they were still in use until April 2020. This is the last series produced before the collapse of the USSR. The other jets available in the auction are said to have been out of service for much longer.

An auction date planned for October 26, 2023 was canceled at short notice without giving any further reasons. The auction is now scheduled to take place on November 11, 2023, but there is one crucial change: the minimum bid has been halved compared to the first date. This is an indication that there may simply not have been enough commitments from potential buyers for October 26, 2023.

There is speculation in the Kazakh media that the Russian Federation could potentially buy the entire auction lot and use it as a spare parts donor. However, two circumstances speak against this. On the one hand, the condition of most of the aircraft is so bad that there is pretty much nothing that can be done with the components and, on the other hand, there is an export ban to Russia, which could also include the avionics of these fighter jets.