Gripen jets could significantly strengthen Ukraine's air defense – Musienko
Swedish Gripen fighter jets are capable of strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and frontline support. According to expert Oleksandr Musienko, the aircraft could be used to strike Russian UAV positions and command posts, as well as to drop aerial bombs.
He made this statement during a broadcast on Radio NV.
The delivery of the first Swedish Gripen fighter jets is expected to significantly enhance the aviation capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In particular, he commented on reports that an announcement regarding the transfer of Jas 39 Gripen C/D aircraft to Ukraine is scheduled for May 28.
“This is very good, because Sweden is a country that systematically supports Ukraine... We see that Sweden is now practically stepping up its efforts as much as possible to support Ukraine, and given that Sweden has a developed military-industrial complex and relevant enterprises working to produce more for defense needs, including aviation,” Musienko noted.
According to him, Sweden is interested in this, on the one hand, to give a boost to its economy. Because this means greater investment and the attraction of additional funds for the Swedish defense industry and related sectors. And on the other hand, it concerns security.
“They fully assess and understand all the risks currently posed by Russia in the Baltic Sea. They monitor them closely. They understand perfectly well that, despite any statements, information about a landing on the island of Gotland occasionally surfaces in the Russian information space. This means that Russia has not abandoned its aggressive intentions toward the Baltic states and Northern Europe. And they understand that strengthening Ukraine’s security now means strengthening Europe’s security,” Musienko emphasized.
He believes that several factors have converged in this situation. In particular, first, there is an awareness that without a strong and resilient Ukraine in terms of security and defense, it is impossible to build a strong and resilient Europe. Second, according to the military official, Sweden genuinely understands Ukraine’s needs to enhance its capabilities in the air component.
“This is very important. Aviation has not lost its significance, especially when it comes to striking well-fortified enemy ground targets. We understand this perfectly well when assessing the situation on the battlefield and talking to the soldiers, who repeatedly make it clear that drones and artillery are good, but when our airstrikes from our aircraft begin to effectively destroy the enemy’s UAV positions, command posts, and so on, it has direct consequences,” Musienko emphasized.
He said that aircraft are very important for changing Ukraine’s position on the front lines. Also, according to him, this relates to the overall strengthening of the air defense system, in which aviation plays a role.
“And Sweden understands that it can make a significant contribution, given its industrial base. And realizing that they can help here in the short term,” Musienko added.
As a reminder, Spain will transfer 100 VAMTAC armored vehicles and a batch of artillery ammunition to Ukraine in 2026.
Latvia has decided to transfer additional CVR(T)-type armored combat vehicles to Ukraine.
