Ukraine will receive a $113 million air defense boost from the Swedish government, according to the Swedish news outlet Svenska Dagbladet.
Newsweek has reached out to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Sweden's defense package comes amid growing concerns regarding peace negotiations mediated by the U.S., as European leaders have expressed their fears that Ukraine and Europe will be sidelined.
The defense package also comes just a day after Moscow launched the largest drone attack on Ukraine since the invasion began.
Sweden has been one of Ukraine's staunchest allies since the beginning of the war. Stockholm has provided military, humanitarian, and civil support, and has in total given Kyiv approximately $6.87 billion, according to the Swedish government.
What To Know
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Ebba Busch, and Minister of Education Johan Persson announced that they would send a military package to Ukraine comprised of air defense systems worth 1.2 billion Swedish krona (approximately $113 million), as following the "increasingly intense Russian attacks with missiles, drones and glide bombs, there is an immediate Ukrainian need for air defense."
Sweden's latest military support package for Ukraine will include Robot 70 and Tridon Mk2 systems. The Robot 70, also referred to as the RBS 70, is a "proven and well-used system that has been developed and improved," and it is a man-portable air-defense missile system designed to intercept a wide range of aerial threats, as described by the defense news outlet Army Recognition.
The Tridon Mk2 is an anti-aircraft system designed to combat drones, cruise missiles, aircraft, armored vehicles, and protect both military forces and critical infrastructure, according to its producer, BAE Systems. The Swedish government said that the system can "meet Russian mass attacks with simple drones and missiles. This is important both if hostilities continue—and to safeguard a possible ceasefire."
The Swedish government also said that it would, through international cooperation, "donate air defense missiles of a type that Ukraine already uses, as well as air defense weapons that individual soldiers can carry. Overall, what is now being donated will strengthen the protection of both Ukraine's military, population and civilian infrastructure."
Prior to this announcement, Sweden's last military support package for Ukraine on January 30, worth $1.2 billion, was the largest aid package sent by Stockholm since the beginning of the war.
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kristersson wrote: "I am in Kyiv today. For the past three years, the Ukrainian people have been fighting for freedom and security - theirs and ours. Today, we are announcing 100 million euro to support Ukraine's air defenses. Strengthening Ukraine's capability to defend itself against Russian aggression also increases our security."
OSINTtechnical, an account that posts about the Russia-Ukraine war, wrote on X: "Sweden is marking the 3rd anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion by supplying Ukraine with $110 million in air defense systems. For the first time, Ukraine will receive the BAE Systems Tridon Mk2, an advanced 40mm naval gun mounted on a flatbed truck."
Benjamin Dousa, Sweden's minister for development, cooperation and foreign trade, wrote on X: "Ukraine is the government's most important foreign policy priority. Therefore, we are now deprioritizing, for example, bilateral assistance to Burkina Faso and Mali, which support Russia, and budgeting to increase civilian support to Ukraine by SEK 1.1 billion."
What Happens Next
Kristersson is in Kyiv along with leaders from Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway on the third anniversary of the war, according to Anton Gerashchenko, the former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine's post on X.
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