Sweden, Ukraine yet to finalise Gripen fighter jet deal, ministry says

Sweden and Ukraine have not reached a definitive agreement on the delivery of Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets, Swedish Defence Ministry said.

The clarification comes after the BBC interview with Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Ivan Havryliuk suggesting Kyiv is anticipating further deliveries of Western aircraft, including the Swedish Gripen jets, Caliber.Az reports per Ukrainian media. 

“Practically, you named the nomenclature correctly, but I won't go into detail about when, what, or which,” Havryliuk said in response to a question from the BBC on whether Ukraine expects deliveries of Mirage and Gripen jets, in addition to new F-16s.

While Swedish authorities confirmed that discussions with Ukraine regarding the potential export of Gripen aircraft have been ongoing, they emphasized that no decision has been finalized.

“There have been ongoing talks between Sweden and Ukraine for some time about the export/sale of Gripen E,” said Adam Schelin, spokesperson for Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson, according to SVT News. “But nothing is clear yet.”

Talks over providing Ukraine with the Saab JAS 39 Gripen jets have continued for several years as part of Kyiv's broader effort to modernise its Air Force with Western aircraft. Ukraine currently operates US-made F-16 jets supplied by Denmark and the Netherlands, along with French Mirage 2000 fighters.

In September 2023, then-Defence Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed that Ukraine was in discussions to acquire both Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, although no updates have followed since.

Last year, Swedish officials said plans to send Gripen jets were temporarily paused to focus on the delivery of F-16s, though they noted the possibility of reviving the Gripen deal once F-16 transfers are completed.

By Sabina Mammadli