President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine expects to receive up to 150 Swedish Gripen fighter jets, with the first deliveries planned for next year.
Writing on Telegram, he said that together with Sweden, Ukraine will significantly strengthen its combat aviation. He called the deal an ambitious but necessary task.
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“Now a historic step – the agreement with Sweden on Gripen combat aircraft – and this is a good choice. We are counting on 150 such aircraft for Ukraine, and the first ones should arrive next year,” the president wrote.
He added that the Gripens are part of the broader security guarantees for Ukraine, forming an Air Force capable of fully protecting the nation’s skies.
“There has never been such a large-scale agreement on combat aircraft for Ukraine. A historic achievement. We are working to fully implement it. Thank you, Sweden,” Zelensky wrote.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson recently said that Sweden would sell Ukraine between 120 and 150 Gripen fighters under a long-term agreement lasting 10-15 years. According to him, production has already begun.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson also said that some of the aircraft could be purchased using frozen Russian assets.
The Series E Gripen fighter jets that Ukraine plans to acquire are the newest version of Sweden’s multirole aircraft, which officially entered Swedish service this week, according to The War Zone.
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Saab, the jet’s manufacturer, describes the Gripen E as “made for forward-thinking air forces,” featuring cutting-edge systems, sensors, and weapons designed to deliver air superiority in contested environments.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on Oct. 23 that Ukraine should not expect the jets to arrive soon, citing “extremely difficult” technical and political hurdles.
His comments followed the signing of a letter of intent between Kyiv and Stockholm to export 100–150 Gripen E fighters over the next 10 to 15 years.
Ihnat noted that aircraft procurement is a slow and complex process requiring intergovernmental agreements, adding that airplanes “are not something that can be bought quickly.”
Zelensky, who signed the agreement, also acknowledged that financing remains a key issue.
Despite the challenges, Ihnat said the Gripen represents a promising direction for Ukraine’s post-war air force, calling it “a simpler machine to operate” and a positive step toward strengthening the country’s aviation capabilities.
Currently, Ukraine’s Air Force operates US-made F-16s, French Mirage 2000s, and two Swedish Saab 340 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
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