Ukraine Says It Has Agreements for 150 Gripen and 100 Rafale Jets
France has reaffirmed Rafale commitments under the SAFE instrument.
Overview
- Speaking at the Kyiv Aviation Institute, President Volodymyr Zelensky said all the agreed Gripen and Rafale aircraft will be new.
- He noted that Ukraine’s currently operated F-16s are not new.
- French defense minister Catherine Vautrin reaffirmed that Rafale deliveries will proceed as planned under the EU SAFE mechanism.
- Zelensky urged rapid supply of SAMP/T systems and said Mirage jets are already intercepting daily Shahed drone attacks.
- Vautrin cited cooperation on modernizing French-supplied radars and on drone production, and Zelensky welcomed France’s detention of a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker while urging broader legislative action by partners.