Ukraine secures deal for 16 Swedish Gripen fighters, seeks additional EU military aid

Swedish defence firm Saab signed a contract to deliver 16 Gripen E fighter jets to Ukraine, valued at about $2.54 billion. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the agreement on Telegram, noting that deliveries of the new‑model aircraft are planned for 2029‑2030, with older Gripen C/D jets to start arriving in early 2027, alongside technical support and cooperation on drones and missile defence.

At the same time, Ukraine’s defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote to EU partners asking for an extra €6.6 billion in military assistance to exploit a six‑to‑nine‑month “window of opportunity” on the battlefield. The request follows the EU’s earlier disbursement of loan funds to Kyiv and is intended to sustain Kyiv’s push against Russian forces.