Sweden is going to strengthen the air defence of Ukraine with a significant security package that will comprise radars, electronic warfare, and fighter jets.

The package is proving to be one of the biggest ever to be packaged in Stockholm, and would pay much attention to enhancing the air defence system in Ukraine.

The equipment that is considered is air defence systems and radars of Saab, as well as other electronic warfare equipment and drone equipment, including a long-range strike platform.

This was covered in a recent interview between Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson as Kyiv again demands increased aid in the face of ongoing attacks by Russian forces by air and missile.

The two officials also discussed the possibility of selling Gripen fighter jets and Meteor air-to-air missiles, considered by Ukraine to be very important to address aircraft launching guided aerial bombs at standoff ranges.

The Meteor is an air-to-air missile equipped with beyond-visual-range capabilities invented by MBDA. It has a long range, great speed and a sophisticated guidance system, which ensures that they can track and destroy high-speed enemy aircraft before they have the opportunity to hit them.

Enhancing the Sweden-Ukraine Defence Cooperation

In addition to hardware deliveries, further industrial and technological collaboration was also investigated by the two parties. 

Sweden and Ukraine are also contributing to further investments on the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List by NATO, which is intended to equip Ukrainian troops with essential abilities to counter ballistic missiles and other aerial threats at high speed.

There is also an expansion of cooperation in the field of defence innovation. The discussion on the introduction of a new program in the Brave1 defence tech cluster is of a joint program: Brave-Sweden, a joint finance program that would allow defence companies to get grants, and new technologies to be tested on the battlefield.

Both governments are also speeding up their preparations to develop a joint production of Ukrainian defence technologies in Sweden, as such a move is meant to have shorter supply chains and enhance sustainability in the long term.

The Wider Picture of Aid in Ukraine

The next package offered by Sweden would be part of a larger package of aid Ukraine has received in the previous two years, as the governments of the West shifted out of short-term aid assistance to permanent aid.

In 2024, the US authorised several aid tranches which in total exceeded 60 billion dollars in the form of air defence interceptors, artillery ammunition, armoured vehicles and long-range strike systems. 

In the same year, the military assistance commitments of Germany to Ukraine were estimated to be about 8 billion euros ($9.4 billion), the most of which consisted of air defence systems and ammunition, the most extensive annual military aid to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion of Russia began.

The UK then came in second with a military aid package of 7.5 billion pounds (10.3 billion) during the 2024 to 2025 fiscal years, which comprised long-range missiles, drones, and training, as well as a promise of multi-year support in order to provide Ukraine with more planning promise.

On a regional level, the European Union introduced a 50-billion-euro ($59-billion) Ukraine Facility in 2024, a four-year program consisting of grants and loans to finance the military and budgetary needs in Ukraine and its reconstruction until 2027.