Ukraine expecting Swedish Gripen fighter jets

The Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive Swedish fourth-generation multirole fighter jets, the Gripen, for the first time, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk announced in an interview with BBC Ukraine.

"General Havryliuk said that additional deliveries of F-16 aircraft, as well as French Mirage and Swedish Gripen, are 'expected,'" the publication said on its website on Monday.

When asked when or how many planes would arrive in Ukraine, Havryliuk said: "When you see them in the air over Ukraine, then you will understand."

"When you said 'expected,' do you mean all of these aircraft, the Mirage and the Gripen, or just one of them, the F-16?" the journalist clarified. "You've basically listed the items correctly, but I won't go into detail about when, what, and which," Havryliuk replied.

Since summer, weapons from the US have been supplied to Ukraine through the new PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) program: European allies purchase weapons from the US and transfer them to Kyiv. Several EU countries and Canada have already agreed to provide a combined $2 billion. The first deliveries under this mechanism, according to Havryliuk, have already arrived in Ukraine.

As the publication notes, Havryliuk admits that the volume and pace have decreased. "Previously, we received aid from the US in large volumes and in regular intervals through presidential aid packages (PDAs). The current system, where European countries purchase weapons for us from the Americans, requires a certain amount of time. The more links in the chain, the more time is lost," the general explained.