Ukraine Gets Major Weapons Boost From NATO Ally

Sweden has pledged more than $1.25 billion in military aid to Ukraine, marking the largest tranche of military assistance NATO's newest member has sent to Kyiv to date.

Stockholm will provide Ukraine with an airborne surveillance and control aircraft, the country's "entire stock" of tracked armored personnel carriers, and artillery ammunition, the Swedish government said on Wednesday.

As long delays to the now-passed U.S. military assistance for Ukraine dragged on, attention turned to the aid European nations could drum up for Kyiv. Ukraine is largely reliant on Western support to prop up its war effort against Russia, now more than two years into the full-scale war.

Kyiv has warned it is restricted by shortages when Western aid is held up, and is now contending with Russian pushes along multiple parts of the front line. Western analysts say Moscow is hoping to advance and push back Ukrainian forces before greenlit U.S. aid reaches Kyiv's troops.

The Swedish aid package—the 16th announced by the country—will furnish Ukraine with a "completely new capability," strengthening its air defenses with the airborne surveillance and control aircraft, Stockholm said.

The aircraft will help Kyiv identify long-range targets in the air and at sea, working alongside Western-provided F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine is expected to receive shortly, said Swedish Defense Minister, Pål Jonson.

Ukraine has described air defenses—used to fend off near-constant drone and missile attacks—and the Lockheed Martin-made F-16s to replenish and upgrade its air force, as key priorities.

Sweden will send air-launched missiles, which can also be used with ground-based air defenses, Stockholm said.

"Ukrainian field units are short on artillery ammunition," the government said. The fresh aid will include 155 mm artillery shells, an in-demand shell used across many of Ukraine's artillery systems.

"The Ukrainian army is organizing a number of new brigades and therefore needs armored vehicles for infantry companies," the Swedish government said. "Therefore, Sweden will donate its entire stock of PBV 302, including spare parts, maintenance equipment and ammunition."

Sweden has more than 200 PBV 203 armored personnel carriers, according to this year's Military Balance, a count of the world's armed forces compiled by the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.

The package will mean a "temporary decrease" in Sweden's own defenses, the government said, adding it will buy new reconnaissance aircraft, armored vehicles, grenades and missiles to backfill its stocks.

Earlier this week, Jonson told Swedish news agency TT that Stockholm was putting on hold plans to send Saab-made Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine so that Western countries could focus on the delivery of F-16s.

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