Editor's note: The article was updated at 11:10 a.m. local time on May 30 with a clarification by the Swedish prime minister's spokesperson that the package will include two ASC 890 aircraft.
Sweden's Defense Ministry announced a fresh package of military aid for Ukraine valued at 13.3 Swedish krona ($1.3 billion) on May 29.
It is Sweden's largest tranche of military assistance since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The package includes two ASC 890 radar reconnaissance and control aircraft, the "entire Swedish stock" of Pansarbandvagn 302 infantry fighting vehicles, artillery shells, anti-air missiles, and materials to help maintain and replenish previously donated military equipment, the defense ministry said and the prime minister's spokesperson said.
The package also includes financial assistance, satellite communication resources, and a mandate by Sweden's Total Defense Research Institute to help Ukraine develop its own research capabilities.
President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude to Sweden for the latest round of military assistance, saying that "these contributions are critical to Ukraine's defense and resilience."
"It is also important that Swedish assistance not only saves Ukrainian lives, but it also helps to ensure long-term peace and security in Europe," he added.
The announcement came a day after Sweden announced it was providing Ukraine with a new energy aid package worth 615 million Swedish krona ($58.2 million).
The Swedish government said earlier in May that it was planning to allocate 75 billion Swedish krona ($7 billion) in military support to Ukraine from 2024 to 2026.
With this proposal, Stockholm's civilian and military aid to Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war will amount to over 100 billion Swedish krona (over $9 billion).
Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson told the Kyiv Independent in March that discussions on a possible supply of its Gripen jets to Ukraine are underway after Sweden's entry into NATO, but made no definite pledge.
Jonson then told the TT news agency on May 28 that Sweden had been asked by partners to wait with possible plans on sending Gripen jets to Ukraine, as the focus is now on providing Kyiv with F-16 aircraft.
In March 2024, Sweden officially joined NATO after a lengthy application process triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was immediately vocal in its calls for other alliance members to do more.
Sweden has previously given Ukraine a variety of advanced military equipment, including the Archer self-propelled howitzer and CV90 infantry fighting vehicle.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
