Sweden will increase its military presence in the Baltic Sea through the deployment of three warships and a radar reconnaissance aircraft in response to the suspected sabotage of several underwater cables, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Jan. 12.
Key developments on Dec. 18: * 'Couple hundred' North Korean troops lost fighting for Russia against Ukraine, AP reports * Sweden 'does not exclude' more direct physical presence in Ukraine to bolster defense * Russia detains two suspects over assassination of General Igor Kirillov, Kremlin media reports * Peace talks with Russia only possible
In response to a question over whether Sweden would potentially take part in a more direct physical presence in Ukraine amid talks of potentially deploying peacekeepers to monitor a possible ceasefire, Jonson said he doesn't "exclude that possibility."
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell spoke with Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson about Europe’s security and Ukraine’s future as Sweden builds ties with Ukraine’s defense industry to boost production.
The Kyiv Independent’s upcoming documentary about Ukrainian military medics who save lives on the front line of Russia’s full-scale war will be screened in 10 European capitals. “Can You Hear Me? The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics” will premiere in Kyiv on Dec. 12, followed by screenings
The announcement came during Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov's working visit in Sweden and his talks with his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson.
Data from maritime tracking group MarineTraffic shows the Yi Peng 3, traveling from Russia to Egypt, passed near the Swedish-Lithuanian and Finnish-German cables on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, the dates the cables were damaged.
Telecom cables linking two Nordic countries with Germany and Lithuania were cut on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, raising suspicion of sabotage, various media outlets reported on Nov. 18.
The governments of Norway, Sweden, and Finland have begun the distribution of informative pamphlets to citizens, providing them with advice in case of the outbreak of war or other emergency situations, BBC reported on Nov. 17.
Sweden will provide Ukraine with a new aid package valued at nine million euros ($9.8 million), which includes two vessels designed to enhance maritime security. The country will also supply 40,000 protective masks and respirators to Ukraine's Emergency Service personnel.
About $46.5 million will go towards initiatives supporting Ukraine's Armed Forces, the Swedish government said. Another $21.6 million will support the development of the Ukrainian defense industry.
The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine's use of Western long-range weapons against Russia would mean that NATO countries were directly involved in the war.
Weeks after Ukraine received its first batch of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets from European allies and more than a year after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the start of test trials on Sweden’s prestigious Gripen multipurpose variants, Stockholm signaled that their possible transfer to Ukraine remains on the
Key developments on Sept. 9: * Russia claims capture of town near Pokrovsk, Kyiv says fighting ongoing in the area * Sweden includes Gripen jet spare parts in new $443 million military aid package for Ukraine * Latvia confirms Russian Shahed drone armed with explosive crashed on its territory * Iran denies sending ballistic
Sweden has included combat boats, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and Gripen jet spare parts in its latest military aid package for Ukraine, valued at 4.6 billion Swedish krona ($443 million), the Swedish Defense Ministry announced on Sept. 9.
Ukraine announced on Aug. 19 that it had approved Sweden's Pansarbandvagn 302 (PBV 302) for delivery to its armed forces. The "entire Swedish stock" of the infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) was a part of Stockholm's largest tranche of military aid for Ukraine worth $1.3 billion, announced in late May.
The "entire Swedish stock" of PbV 302 vehicles was a part of Stockholm's largest tranche of military aid for Ukraine worth $1.3 billion, announced in late May.
Swedish government did not refuse to send Gripen along with F-16 fighter jets from other allies, but Ukraine said that having two aircraft systems at the same time "was too much," Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom.
A Rostov-on-Don court sentenced five citizens from the U.K., Sweden, and Croatia in absentia to prison terms ranging from 3.5 to 23 years on June 26 for fighting alongside Ukraine amid Russia's full-scale war, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office claimed.
The report did not specify the type of infantry fighting vehicle, but Ukraine and Sweden last year signed an agreement to start jointly producing the CV90, considered one of the best of its type in the world.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Stockholm earlier in the day for the third Nordic-Ukrainian summit where he met Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
"Our top priorities are to ensure more air defense systems for Ukraine, joint defense industry projects, and weapons for our warriors, as well as global efforts to force Russia to make peace," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.
Key developments on May 29: * Sweden announces $1.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine in largest package ever * Finland, Canada, Poland don't prohibit Ukraine from striking targets in Russia with their weapons * Pressed on strikes inside Russia, Blinken says US stance will 'adapt and adjust as necessary' * 19 killed,
The announcement came a day after Sweden said it was providing Ukraine with a new package of energy aid worth 615 million Swedish krona ($58.2 million).
"We have been urged by the other countries in the coalition to wait with the Gripen system," Defense Minister Pal Jonson told TT in Brussels, adding: "This has to do with the fact that the focus is now on introducing the F-16 system."
The package consists of two parts: 500 million Swedish krona (around $45 million) under the Energy Community's Ukraine Energy Support Fund and another 150 million Swedish krona (around $15 million) through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
"Ukraine has the right to defend itself through military actions aimed at the enemy's territory as long as the military actions comply with the laws of war," Jonson said.
Key updates on May 22: * UK defense secretary: Intelligence has evidence of Chinese lethal aid to Russia, world needs to 'wake up' * Sweden plans to allocate $7 billion in military aid to Ukraine between 2024-2026 * Source: SBU has a new weapon – Grad-equipped Sea Baby drones * Estonian PM Kallas: Russia is
"Sweden will increase the support, as the framework amounts to 75 billion Swedish krona in military support for the years 2024–2026, which is 25 billion Swedish krona ($2.3 billion) per year," according to the statement.
It will take as long as two years for Sweden to reach the desired capacity to provide Ukraine with more ammunition and strengthen the Swedish Armed Forces, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said in an interview with Bloomberg published on May 21.
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be seeking dominance over the Baltic Sea and has his sights on the island of Gotland, Micael Byden, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, said in an interview with RND published on May 21.
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.
