Zelensky Says Ukraine Expects First Gripen Jets in Early 2027

President Volodymyr Zelensky used a press briefing in Copenhagen on Nov. 10, after talks with Nordic and Baltic leaders, to put a tighter date on Sweden’s promised fighter deliveries.

“They should arrive in January-February, possibly in February. We have raised the issue that we need them as quickly as possible. But, so to speak, the process is already underway,” he told reporters.

He did not say how many aircraft would be included in that first shipment.

Arrival Window Still Unconfirmed

The January-February target comes from Zelensky, not from a new Swedish government timetable issued this week.

Stockholm said in May that the first used JAS 39 Gripen C/D jets “can be expected to be defending Ukraine’s airspace as early as next year,” meaning 2027. That statement backs the year, but not the winter months he cited in Denmark.

Interfax-Ukraine reported that more precise official dates have not been announced. Neither government has said when the first aircraft would enter operational service after they arrive.

Used C/D Jets Ahead of Gripen E

The jets expected next year are used Gripen C/D aircraft Sweden has pledged to donate — up to 16 airframes from the Swedish Armed Forces’ existing fleet — together with advanced munitions that may include IRIS-T, AMRAAM and Meteor missiles.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said in May that the first batch would be delivered with Meteor long-range air-to-air missiles.

The donation was announced on May 28, alongside Ukraine’s plan to buy newer Gripen E/F aircraft. On June 30, Kyiv and Stockholm signed a contract for 16 Gripen E fighters, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2029 and financed through a European loan with U.K. support.

A 2025 letter of intent first sketched a longer Gripen partnership, including possible localized production later in the next decade.

Ukrainian pilots and technicians are already in training, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and earlier Swedish statements.

Role Against Shahed Drones

Zelensky said Ukraine would “see how the Gripens perform against Shahed drones” and was counting on them as part of air defense.

The Swedish jets would join a fleet that already includes U.S. F-16s and French Mirage 2000s. A Ukrainian F-16 unit commander said this month those aircraft had claimed 4,700 one-way attack drone shootdowns, most with the gun.

Zelensky also pressed partners for additional F-16s and ammunition, saying many of the jets now in service require regular repairs because they are older models. He said those aircraft already intercept jet-powered Shaheds, and has previously described broader fighter deals covering Gripens and other Western types.