President: Ukraine plans to have a fleet of 250 new aircraft

Ukraine plans to have a fleet of 250 modern aircraft. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting with journalists on October 27, the correspondent of LIGA.net .

According to him, there is a large program for the future of Ukrainian combat aviation. Negotiations are currently underway with three countries that can help scale up and strengthen the Ukrainian aviation fleet.

"I am conducting three parallel conversations on aircraft - with the Swedes, the French and the Americans. And the general request for the future of our combat aviation is a fleet of 250 new aircraft," said the President .

Ukraine has now settled on three platforms, taking into account the experience of the pilots, the capabilities of the enemy and full-scale war in general, and other things. These are the American F-16, Swedish Gripen, and French Rafale aircraft. According to Zelensky, this is the "best choice" for Ukraine.

Gripen fighters are currently a priority, as they are faster to maintain and pilot training takes about six months.

• on October 8, Defense Expres reported that Ukraine may receive additional F-16 from Belgium in 2026.
• On October 22, Ukraine and Sweden signed a letter of intent to purchase at least 100 Gripen aircraft for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The first fighters may appear as early as 2026 in Ukraine, and payment for them is proposed to be made from frozen Russian assets.
• On October 24, French President said that the country would provide Ukraine with additional Aster missiles and Mirage fighters in the coming days.