Sweden pledges Ksh.180B for Ukraine air defence, drones

Defence Minister Pal Jonson told AFP that the military aid package was "the third largest so far that Sweden has delivered to Ukraine."

It had been focused on needs communicated by Ukraine.

"That is to say, air defence and sustaining the platforms we have delivered with ammunition," Jonson said.

Some 4.3 billion kronor would go to delivering to Ukraine an "advanced short-range air defence capability," according to the government.

This would include additional units of the TRIDON Mk2 mobile anti-aircraft artillery system, which Sweden announced in early February it was supplying to Ukraine.

Jonson said the aim was to have the systems delivered to Ukraine within 24 months.

The remainder of the funds would go towards large quantities of ammunition, including long-range artillery shells, as well as training and the expansion of a cooperation project with Ukraine on long-range drones.

The funds are part of Sweden's yearly allocated 40-billion-kronor budget for Ukraine aid.

Jonson said that the remaining 27 billion kronor of this year's budget would be announced in the spring and summer.

With the latest military aid package, which is Sweden's 21st to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022, the Nordic country has donated 103 billion kronor in military support.

Past contributions have included the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle, the Archer mobile artillery system as well as tanks and naval assault crafts.