Sweden signs a letter of intent to investigate the possibility of selling up to 150 Gripen aircraft to Ukraine, reports SVT.
The letter of intent is supposed to be seen as the first step in a larger export agreement with the country. The government wants frozen Russian assets to be used as payment for the agreement, writes the Swedish public broadcaster.
The news comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Sweden, where he is meeting with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) and several other ministers.
Zelenskyy says the agreement is the start of a new era.
The president hopes the first Gripen aircraft can be put into service next year, according to Reuters.
– Today we have an agreement that can take us forward on the path so that Ukraine can get a fleet of Gripen aircraft. These are fantastic aircraft that can protect us against various threats, he says.
Reuters also reports that Zelensky is interested in collaborating with Sweden and Saab on drone production.
– A huge order
There is broad support in the EU to lend Ukraine 140 billion euros in frozen Russian funds, says Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas. The arrangement could be signed this week.
The planned arrangement is that Ukraine will be allowed to borrow the funds interest-free and then pay the money back to Russia if Russia one day pays war reparations to the Ukrainians. The money will be disbursed as Ukraine needs it. In Norwegian kroner, the total amount corresponds to around 1640 billion.
The Jas 39 Gripen E is the latest version of the Swedish fighter jet, developed by Saab. The model has a more powerful engine, longer range, and more advanced radar and electronics than previous versions.
– It is a huge order. An air force with so many Gripen is no joke. It is a potent air force, says Lars Peder Haga, associate professor at the Norwegian Air Force Academy to TV 2.
It is unclear how much such a letter of intent might be worth, but according to Air Force Technology the price per aircraft is $85 million, which is equivalent to 850 million kroner.
That means 150 aircraft could cost around $12.7 billion, or 127 billion kroner.
Two children killed last night
At least six people, including two children, were killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine overnight.
This was stated by Ukraine's rescue service in an update on Wednesday morning.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko says a major drone strike in the early hours of the morning caused damage to homes and several people were injured. Two children are among those killed in the attacks in the region around Kyiv.
Ten people were rescued from a burning high-rise building in the Dniprovsky district of Kyiv, according to Klitschko. A child was among the five who were taken to hospital for treatment.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk says that massive Russian attacks last night have targeted the power grid and energy infrastructure.
At least three other regions have also been hit by drone attacks overnight, according to local authorities. Among them, attacks in Zaporizhia left thousands without power.
