Zelensky: Ukraine will soon receive new fighter jets

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Swedish Gripen fighter jets will soon appear in Ukrainian skies, and that negotiations with France over the supply of Rafale aircraft are continuing.

He made the announcement on Ukraine’s Air Force Day.

Speaking at the holiday event, Zelensky met with military personnel, presented state awards, and spoke about the expansion of the country’s fleet of Western combat aircraft. He noted that Ukrainian pilots have been flying F-16s and Mirage aircraft for several years and praised the Air Force for mastering modern air defense systems “in record time.” A group of pilots is already undergoing training in Sweden on the Gripen platform — ahead of schedule.

“Soon we will see Gripens in the skies over Ukraine,” Zelensky said, adding that negotiations with France are continuing and that Rafale fighters will also enter the Ukrainian armed forces’ inventory.

The new aircraft are set to arrive against the backdrop of a number of defense agreements concluded in recent months. On June 30, Saab AB signed a contract worth approximately €2.2 billion for the supply of 16 Gripen E fighters to Ukraine. The deal is financed through a European Union loan with British backing. Under the terms of the contract, deliveries of the new Gripen E variant are scheduled for early 2029, while 16 older Gripen C/D aircraft will be delivered as part of Swedish military aid in early 2027.

The purchase of the Gripen E is only the first step within Ukraine’s broader plans to acquire up to 150 such aircraft, as set out in a letter of intent signed by Kyiv and Stockholm in October 2025.

On the French side, Paris and Kyiv on July 14 formally placed an order for 16 Rafale fighters manufactured by Dassault Aviation SA — the first batch under an agreement providing for the delivery of up to 100 aircraft, concluded in November 2025. According to Reuters, training of Ukrainian pilots in France could begin as early as this year, with the first Rafales appearing in Ukrainian skies by 2028–2029.

In his address, Zelensky also emphasized the threat posed by Russian air strikes, calling them Moscow’s “last bet.” He noted that Ukrainian forces are shooting down more than 90 percent of attacking drones and a significant portion of cruise missiles — largely thanks to Western-supplied Patriot, IRIS-T, NASAMS, and Hawk systems.

“Ballistic missiles remain a problem, but we have provided Ukraine with protection against a significant number of cruise missiles and are successfully intercepting them,” Zelensky said.

The planned acquisition of Gripens and Rafales, combined with the F-16s and Mirages already in service, will turn the Ukrainian Air Force into one of the most diverse fighter fleets in Europe — a stark contrast to the Soviet-era aircraft the country relied on at the start of the full-scale war.