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Gripen Deal After Zelensky Visit
Sweden announced on Thursday that it will donate 16 of its existing Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine by next year, with deliveries of the donated aircraft scheduled for early 2027, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited an airbase in Uppsala, 70km (45 miles) north of Stockholm.
“Sweden and Ukraine have outlined plans to acquire up to 36 Saab Gripen fighter jets as part of a broader Letter of Intent to eventually acquire up to 150 jets”
Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish prime minister, said the 16 donated aircraft will “strengthens Ukraine’s air defence significantly,” and he added that the aim for the latest model Gripen E jets is to conclude a final agreement with deliveries as of 2030.
The two countries have a long-term deal under which Ukraine could buy up to 150 of the Gripen E, and Zelenskyy said, “We hope we will be able to secure financing for all of them.”
The Guardian also reported that the Gripen can be armed with European-made Meteor air-to-air missiles, and the same briefing said US congressmen backed Zelenskyy’s calls for more air defence missiles.
In parallel, the Guardian said the US demanded Russia refrain from its threatened “systematic strikes” against Kyiv at the UN on Thursday, after condemning Sunday’s deadly and destructive barrage against the Ukrainian capital.
Training, Weapons, and Diplomacy
Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel have already begun training on Swedish Gripen fighter jets, and Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said the training program for Ukrainian crews will be expanded in the autumn.
Jonson said on X that “Ukraine is not just getting aircraft. Ukraine is building a modern air force capable of fighting, surviving and adapting in Europe’s most demanding conditions,” framing Gripen C/D as meeting “urgent needs” and Gripen E/F as “building the future.”
The Guardian briefing said Gripen can be armed with powerful, European-made Meteor air-to-air missiles, and it reported that US Representative Jim Himes linked US military support to Ukraine to the need to close the US war on Iran.
In the same briefing, the Guardian quoted Tammy Bruce, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, calling Russia’s use of the Oreshnik ballistic missile “an inexplicable, dangerous and barbaric escalation … We caution Russia not to mount so-called systematic strikes against Kyiv.”
The Guardian also said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, told EU ministers that “Europe will never be a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine,” and she said an unconditional ceasefire was “a prerequisite for any kind of peace negotiations.”
What Comes Next for Ukraine
The Swedish plan described by multiple outlets ties the Gripen timeline to Ukraine’s air-defence needs, with the 16 donated aircraft due in early 2027 and the latest model Gripen E deliveries targeted as of 2030.
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The Guardian said the two countries’ long-term deal would allow Ukraine to buy up to 150 Gripen E, while it also reported that the Gripen can be armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles.
Aerospace Global News said Sweden and Ukraine outlined plans to acquire up to 36 Saab Gripen fighter jets as part of a broader Letter of Intent to eventually acquire up to 150 jets, mixing donated legacy Gripen C/Ds and new Gripen E/Fs.
The same reporting said the first detailed plans were posted by Pål Jonson on X, and it quoted him saying, “Ukraine is now building air power with Swedish fighters: buying up to 20 Gripen E/F for its future air force, while Sweden will donate 16 Gripen C/D.”
Beyond the aircraft, the Guardian said Ukraine again struck a Russian oil refinery at Tuapse on the Black Sea, with the Ukrainian military’s general staff recording fire and smoke and assessing damage, while the briefing also described a drone hit on a residential building in Romania’s city of Galați with two people slightly injured.
