Zelensky says first Swedish Gripen fighters expected in January or February

Expectations for first Swedish aircraft

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined the preliminary timeline for the arrival of the first Swedish Gripen fighters in the country during an interview with journalists. According to him, the aircraft are expected to arrive in January or February, although the exact date has not yet been confirmed.

«Ми піднімаємо питання, що потребуємо їх якомога скоріше. Але робота триває. Подивимося, як Gripen працюватимуть проти шахедів. Ми розраховуємо на них» (We are raising the issue that we need them as soon as possible. But the work is ongoing. We will see how the Gripens perform against Shaheds. We are counting on them), the head of state added.

Role in countering drones and F-16 availability

Zelensky emphasised that the new Swedish fighters are expected to be used, among other things, to destroy Russian Shahed strike drones. At the same time, he noted that Ukraine still requires a larger number of American F-16s, as a significant portion of the existing aircraft are currently undergoing repair.

«Але вони хороші, швидкі, вони здатні знищувати реактивні шахеди. Ми використовуємо їх, і ми вдячні країнам, які нам їх надали: Данії, Норвегії. У розмовах зі Швецією ми піднімаємо питання Gripen» (But they are good, fast, and capable of destroying jet-powered Shaheds. We are using them, and we are grateful to the countries that provided them to us: Denmark, Norway. In talks with Sweden, we are raising the issue of the Gripens), the president stated.