Ukraine to buy up to 20 Gripen jet fighters, Sweden to donate 16

AFP | Stockholm

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Ukraine plans to buy up to 20 latest model Gripen fighter jets and Sweden will donate 16 older models, the two countries announced yesterday as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Sweden.

Ukraine plans to allocate 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) from an EU loan for the new aircraft, the Swedish government said in a statement.

Regarding the latest model Gripen E jets, “the aim is to quickly conclude a final agreement with deliveries as of 2030”, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a joint press conference with Zelenskyy at an air base in Uppsala, 70 kilometers (45 miles) north of Stockholm.

The 16 donated aircraft will be delivered in early 2027, Kristersson said. “This is a historic decision for Sweden, but it also strengthens Ukraine’s air defense significantly,” he added.

The two countries signed a letter of intent in October on Kyiv’s purchase of 100 to 150 Gripen E aircraft. Zelenskyy said Ukraine, battling Russia’s invasion since 2022, hoped to buy all 150 planes.

“We hope we will be able to secure financing for all of them,” he said.

Sweden in 2024 suspended plans to send Gripen jets to Ukraine after partner countries requested that priority be given to providing US F-16 fighters.