--- title: "Sibiga: Swedish Gripen fighters ready to defend the Ukrainian sky" description: "Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Swedish Gripen fighters are being prepared to become part of the country's air defense. He discussed the delivery timeline and work on the Drone Deal with the Swedish minister." date: 2026-08-24T09:20:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/gripen-for-ukraine-sibiga-stated-on-fighter-preparation tags: [sweden, gripen, ukraine-air-defense, sybiha, ballistic-missiles, black-sea] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Sibiga: Swedish Gripen fighters ready to defend the Ukrainian sky ![Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet flying over the coastline — ready to defend Ukrainian airspace](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/24/gripen-dlya-ukrainy-sibiga-zayavil-o-podgotovke-istrebiteley/gripen-dlya-ukrainy-sibiga-zayavil-o-podgotovke-istrebiteley-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Sybiha stated that Swedish Gripen fighters are being prepared to become a full-fledged part of Ukraine's air defense - Talks with the Swedish Foreign Minister took place on Independence Day and were dedicated to protection from ballistic missiles - The sides discussed the timeline for implementing the leaders' agreements and work on the bilateral Drone Deal - Kyiv is advancing the creation of a Coalition to Counter Ballistic Missiles and the transfer of interceptors from allies Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Swedish multirole Gripen fighters are becoming a full-fledged part of Ukraine's air defense system and that their preparation for combat use is ongoing. The minister reported this in his official post on the social network X, as cited by RBC-Ukraine. The statement came against the backdrop of a visit to Kyiv by his Swedish counterpart Maria Malmer Stenergard, who arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Independence Day and held talks with Sybiha on key bilateral security issues. ### Talks on Independence Day According to Sybiha, the meeting with the Swedish Foreign Minister was dedicated, first and foremost, to protecting Ukraine from Russian ballistic terror — this issue, he said, was at the center of both sides' attention. The minister emphasized that Kyiv is making maximum efforts to form a Coalition to Counter Ballistic Missiles, which will allow for the joint development of defensive solutions and the coordination of efforts to obtain and transfer additional interceptors to Ukraine from allies. Separately, Sybiha reminded of the need to strengthen sanctions pressure on Russia's ballistic missile program. ### Gripen in the air defense system and the bilateral Drone Deal Commenting on the aviation track, Sybiha stated: "Swedish Gripen fighters, which possess exceptional characteristics, are being prepared to defend the Ukrainian sky — we discussed the timeline for implementing the agreements between our leaders, as well as the current work on the bilateral Drone Deal." Thus, Kyiv and Stockholm are synchronizing not only the timelines for integrating the fighters into Ukraine's air defense, but are also developing in parallel an agreement on unmanned systems, indicating the comprehensive nature of the military cooperation between the two countries. ### The Black Sea, shipping, and grain exports During the talks, Sybiha also briefed his Swedish counterpart on the developments at the front and drew attention to the need to neutralize Russian threats in the Black Sea. In his words, it is critically important to ensure freedom of navigation and uninterrupted grain exports, which matters not only for Ukraine but also for global food security. To conclude, the minister expressed gratitude to Sweden for its support "not only in words but also in deeds," which, in his assessment, protects Ukrainian independence and shared European values. ### Delivery pace and the president's position The reminder about the preparation of the Gripen for combat use complements earlier statements by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who previously spoke about the number of fighters Ukraine will receive and the deadlines for their transfer, noting that the preparation is proceeding significantly faster than initially planned. The totality of these signals indicates that the delivery of Swedish fighters is viewed by Kyiv as an already agreed-upon and on-schedule element of the defense strategy, rather than a hypothetical prospect. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Gripen fighters ready to defend the Ukrainian sky, - Sybiha](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vinishchuvachi-gripen-gotuyutsya-zahishchati-1787562918.html) - Первичный источник заявления Сибиги; содержит цитату о подготовке Gripen и Drone Deal, а также упоминание переговоров со шведским МИД. - [Gripen for Ukraine: Sybiha stated on the preparation of fighters to defend the sky](https://unn.ua/ru/news/gripen-dlya-ukraini-sibiga-zayavil-o-podgotovke-istrebitelei-k-zashchite-neba) - Подтверждает заявление Сибиги о подготовке истребителей к защите украинского неба. - [Sybiha after meeting with the Swedish Foreign Minister: Gripen are being prepared to defend the Ukrainian sky](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/08/24/8050033/) - Подтверждает контекст встречи с главой МИД Швеции и статус подготовки Gripen. - [Swedish Gripen fighters ready to defend the Ukrainian sky – Sybiha's meeting with the Swedish Foreign Minister](https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1195578.html) - Подтверждает факт встречи и заявление о подготовке истребителей. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who stated that Swedish Gripen fighters are being prepared to defend Ukraine? **A:** This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha in his post on the social network X following talks with his Swedish counterpart Maria Malmer Stenergard. ### Q: When did the meeting between the Ukrainian and Swedish foreign ministers take place? **A:** The talks took place on Ukraine's Independence Day, when Maria Malmer Stenergard arrived in Kyiv. ### Q: What else did Sybiha and the Swedish Foreign Minister discuss? **A:** The sides discussed protection from Russian ballistic missiles, the creation of a Coalition to Counter Ballistic Missiles, the transfer of interceptors, work on the bilateral Drone Deal, as well as the neutralization of threats in the Black Sea and ensuring grain exports.