Ukraine may soon receive Swedish "Gripen" fighters, as well as more French "Mirage" and American F-16s. In addition, Kiev wants "Tomahawk" cruise missiles from the United States. Can these weapons change the situation on the front?
Russia is attacked daily by drones from Ukraine, and among the targets are strategic objects such as oil refineries. In the summer, US President Donald Trump encouraged his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to continue attacking Russia on its own territory and asked him if they could reach Moscow if the United States supplied the appropriate missiles. That is exactly what Ukraine has been demanding for a long time - it wants to receive more powerful long-range missiles in order to put pressure on Russia to negotiate.
Initially, Washington feared that the conflict could get out of control. But gradually Kiev began to receive more and more powerful missiles: first HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, then long-range ATACMS missiles.
Trump seemed divided, clearly frustrated by the ongoing war
At the beginning of the year, Donald Trump temporarily suspended arms supplies to Ukraine. But after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August, which did not lead to concrete steps towards peace, the US president openly expressed his disappointment. "Russia continues this war, they have already lost millions of people - and what is it all for? It is shameful," Trump said.
Against this background, Ukraine is now demanding to receive American "Tomahawk" missiles. The topic was also discussed at Trump's meeting with Zelensky last week in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. This was confirmed by the US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, but he added that there has been no decision on this request yet.
What can "Tomahawk" do?
"Tomahawk" are cruise missiles that have been used extensively by the US since the 1990s. They can carry an explosive charge of 500 kilograms and are usually launched from ships or from the air.
"Tomahawk" flying at low altitudes to evade enemy air defenses, can be reprogrammed in flight and even hover over the target area before hitting the target.
However, Ukraine will probably have to purchase special launchers to be able to use them fully.
Long-range missiles can change the situation on the front
Tactical missiles such as the British "Storm Shadows", the German "Taurus" or the American ATACMS reach a range of up to 300 kilometers. In contrast, the "Tomahawk" can hit targets at a distance of up to 2,500 kilometers. This means that Moscow would be easily accessible, as would the "Olenya" air base. in the Murmansk region - one of the main launch points for Russian missile attacks on Ukraine.
If Washington approves Kiev's request, European NATO member states must purchase these missiles from the United States and provide them to Ukraine. This raises concerns that Europe could be drawn deeper into the war.
So far, Russia's reaction has been restrained. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in this regard that there was no universal remedy that would change the situation on the front for the Ukrainian leadership: "There is no miracle weapon - whether it is "Tomahawk" or other missiles – they will not change the dynamics," he assured.
However, this tone of Moscow may change if Ukraine really starts to strike Russia with heavy American cruise missiles and hit Russia where it can really hurt.
More combat aircraft for Kiev
Meanwhile, an interview with Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havrylyuk made it clear that Ukraine expects to soon receive Swedish "Gripen" fighters for the first time - in addition to new deliveries of French "Mirage" and American F-16s.
Although no details were disclosed, the possibility of equipping the Ukrainian Air Force with JAS-39 "Gripen" fighters has been under consideration for several months, writes the German public media ZDF.
Alternative to the F-16
"Gripen" was developed specifically for use on short, sometimes improvised runways and is easier to maintain and service than the F-16. It is a very maneuverable aircraft that, depending on the configuration, can be used as both a fighter and a reconnaissance aircraft.
If delivered, the "Gripen" would be the third type of Western fighter jet to be delivered to Ukraine. Kiev already has about two dozen F-16s, and France has delivered ten "Mirage" 2000s. While the greater variety of fighter jet types complicates training and logistics, the delivery of a variety of Western aircraft to Kiev helps solve the most important problem: their quantity.
On a front more than 1,200 kilometers long, from where Russia carries out hundreds of drone attacks on Ukrainian territory every few days, Kiev does not necessarily need the most modern fighter jets, but as many aircraft as possible. In a war of this scale, numbers are what matter most.
Ukraine uses the F-16 primarily against Russian air attacks, i.e. to defend against drones and cruise missiles, against which they are very effective. Ukraine also uses them regularly to support its troops from the air and to attack Russian radar facilities. So far, three F-16s have been lost in combat, the German publication also points out.
Although the "Mirage" 2000s are relatively outdated platforms, Ukraine uses them quite effectively against both ground and air targets - for example, to neutralize approaching drones or cruise missiles. So far, Ukraine has lost one "Mirage" 2000 due to a technical failure.
In August 2025, French officials said that Paris could send ten more such aircraft to Ukraine, bringing the total number of "Mirage" delivered to Ukraine to 20 machines. The obstacle is the number of trained Ukrainian pilots available, as is also the case with F-16 fighters, ZDF also points out.