Media: Sweden to consider sending Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine.
The Swedish government will instruct the country's military to investigate the possibility of sending Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, the Swedish Radio's news service Ekot reported[1] on Sept.
12, citing its sources. Stockholm also wants information on how would the transfer affect Sweden's defense capabilities and how soon could the Swedish military acquire new Gripen jets as compensation, the outlet said. The study should further address the training of Ukrainian pilots and other personnel.
Kyiv has been seeking to obtain modern Western fighter jets to bolster its Air Force in the fight against Russian aggression. Sweden agreed to allow test flights for Ukrainian pilots on Gripen jets but has so far refused to pledge the aircraft itself. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said[2] that Stockholm needs to take its own security into account as it is not yet a NATO member.
Gripens are not the only Western jets that Ukraine seeks to acquire. Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands have already pledged[3] to transfer some of their F-16 planes and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said[4] that Kyiv is also interested in French-made Rafale jets.
Martin Fornusek
News Editor
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press.
He also volunteers as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukrainer.
Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.