Czech fighter jets will guard the airspace of neighboring Slovakia from September, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Sunday, Reuters reported.

Slovakia has asked its NATO allies to patrol its skies as it decided to retire its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets that could be sent to neighboring Ukraine to help Kyiv defend against a Russian invasion.

Slovakia ordered F-16 fighter jets from the US in 2018. The first aircraft were expected to arrive this year with delivery completed next year, but delivery is now expected to take place in 2024.