Zelenskyy visits Sweden as Ukraine pushes wartime drone expertise and seeks new defence deals

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Sweden on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson focused on expanding bilateral defence cooperation, as Kyiv increasingly markets its wartime drone expertise to international partners.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Sweden were preparing “a major defence package” and were also working towards an agreement involving Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets for Ukraine.

The visit comes at a crucial stage in the more than four-year-old Russia-Ukraine war, with Kyiv attempting to deepen defence ties with Western allies while also positioning itself as a global leader in combat drone warfare.

Ukraine has rapidly transformed into one of the world’s most experienced drone warfare powers during the conflict with Russia. Ukrainian drones are now central to operations across the 1,250-kilometre front line, targeting Russian troop positions, logistics routes and military infrastructure deep behind enemy lines.

Zelenskyy has increasingly highlighted Ukraine’s technological expertise as a strategic export. According to the Ukrainian leader, Ukrainian specialists have already assisted countries in the Gulf Arab region in strengthening air defence systems amid tensions linked to the ongoing Iran conflict. He also claimed Ukrainian personnel had provided support at American military bases in West Asia.

Kyiv has additionally entered into joint drone-production agreements with several European Union countries, many of which fear Russian President Vladimir Putin could harbour military ambitions beyond Ukraine.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in an assessment late Wednesday that Ukraine’s drone campaigns were significantly limiting Russia’s ability to transport troops and maintain front-line supply chains despite Moscow’s numerical military advantage.

However, while Ukraine has gained an edge in tactical and medium-range drone operations, Russia continues to dominate in long-range ballistic missile capabilities.

Last weekend, Russian forces launched one of the war’s heaviest aerial assaults on Kyiv, firing nearly 90 missiles along with hundreds of drones in what Ukrainian officials described as an attempt to overwhelm air defence systems and terrorise civilian areas.

The escalating bombardments have increased pressure on Kyiv to secure additional Western military assistance.

Ukrainian officials said Zelenskyy has written to US President Donald Trump and members of Congress seeking urgent deliveries of American-made air defence ammunition, particularly Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles.

According to Kyiv, shortages of advanced air defence systems are becoming increasingly serious as American military stockpiles are being diverted towards the conflict involving Iran.

Despite warnings from Russia’s Foreign Ministry earlier this week urging foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv ahead of what Moscow described as impending “systemic strikes”, diplomatic missions in the Ukrainian capital have continued operating.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that no foreign embassies were known to have suspended operations or evacuated personnel from the city.