Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv expects to receive a batch of Swedish Gripen fighter jets in the near future, which will become the first aircraft of this type in the Ukrainian Air Force. The head of state announced this following a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Brussels on the sidelines of the European Council meeting, where the parties discussed Swedish support for Ukraine.
Addition to F-16s and Air Defense Strengthening
According to Zelenskyy, the Gripen fighters will complement the F-16s already at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, particularly in intercepting and shooting down Shahed jet-powered drones. The president emphasized that during the talks, special attention was paid to Ukraine's needs for protection against constant attacks and, above all, the strengthening of air defense. He also expressed gratitude to Sweden for the agreements reached regarding the fighter jets and noted that he considers Stockholm's position important for increasing pressure on Russia and boosting support for Ukraine.
Cost and Deal Details
The cost of the deal for the supply of fighter jets is estimated at approximately 24.6 billion Swedish kronor, which is about 2.54 billion dollars. It was previously reported that in June 2026, Ukraine and Sweden concluded an agreement on the procurement of Gripen E multi-role fighters, under which Kyiv will receive the aircraft along with corresponding equipment and technical support. According to reports, the Swedish fighters will become a full-fledged part of Ukraine's air defense system, and preparations for putting them into service are ongoing.
Integration of Taurus Missiles
Additionally, the combat potential of the future aircraft is expanded by the integration of German long-range Taurus cruise missiles onto the Swedish Gripens. Reports indicate that the joint venture TAURUS Systems GmbH, established by MBDA Deutschland and SAAB Dynamics, completed the integration of the Taurus KEPD 350 missile onto the Gripen fighter in record time, and the first cruise missile launch from a JAS 39 Gripen was carried out at the Vidsel test range in Sweden's Norrbotten region. This gives the platform a new long-range strike capability.
Pilot Training and Financing Issues
Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson, in turn, stated that the Gripen fighters are already being deployed, pilots are undergoing training, and the challenges associated with introducing the new equipment into the defense system are being successfully overcome. Separately, he noted that the topic of using frozen Russian assets was raised again at the meeting, but there is still no progress on their confiscation. In his opinion, in the short term, funds to support Ukraine should come from other sources rather than frozen assets.
