Sweden will donate 16 of its existing Gripen fighter jets by next year to Ukraine, which will go on to buy an initial 20 of the latest model, they announced on Thursday as Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited an airbase in Uppsala, 70km (45 miles) north of Stockholm. The 16 donated aircraft will be delivered in early 2027, said Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish prime minister. “This is a historic decision for Sweden, but it also strengthens Ukraine’s air defence significantly,” he added.

Regarding the latest model Gripen E jets, “the aim is to quickly conclude a final agreement with deliveries as of 2030”, Kristersson said. The two countries have a long-term deal under which Ukraine could buy up to 150 of the Gripen E. “We hope we will be able to secure financing for all of them,” Zelenskyy said. Importantly, the Gripen can be armed with powerful, European-made Meteor air-to-air missiles.

US congressmen have backed Zelenskyy’s calls for more air defence missiles. “My hope and expectation is that America will respond positively to this request,” said senator Richard Blumenthal, speaking alongside US Representative Jim Himes, a fellow Democrat, after meeting with Ukraine’s president in Kyiv.

Himes, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives’ intelligence committee, said conversations in Washington around military support to Ukraine had been complicated by the US war on Iran. “That conflict needs to be brought to a close yesterday for many reasons, including the fact that the material that is being used in the Persian Gulf right now needs to be used for our defence and needs to be provided to Ukraine,” Himes said.

At the UN on Thursday, the US levelled unusually harsh criticism against Russia and demanded it refrain from its threatened “systematic strikes” against Kyiv. Condemning Sunday’s deadly and destructive barrage against Kyiv, Tammy Bruce, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, called Russia’s use of the Oreshnik ballistic missile “an inexplicable, dangerous and barbaric escalation … We caution Russia not to mount so-called systematic strikes against Kyiv, which risk further civilian casualties and setting back the prospect of peace.” Moscow brushed off the censure.

“The dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat. “Russia is on the back foot, militarily, economically, but also diplomatically, but as the latest strikes on Kyiv have shown, Russia still shows no genuine interest in peace, which was also the clear view of the ministers today.” Kallas said EU ministers meeting on Thursday had “a really thorough discussion” on what Europe should ask for from Moscow in any potential negotiations.

“Europe will never be a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine,” Kallas said, “because we are on Ukraine’s side, and we are defending our own core security interests”. An unconditional ceasefire was “a prerequisite for any kind of peace negotiations” and Russia “must stop sabotage operations, cyber-attacks, election interference, airspace violations across Europe”, while “there can be no legal recognition of the occupied Ukrainian territory”.

Ukraine said it again struck a Russian oil refinery at Tuapse on the Black Sea – a target that has been battered by repeated Ukrainian attacks. The Ukrainian military’s general staff said fire and smoke had been recorded at the refinery and the extent of the damage was being assessed.

A drone hit a residential building in Romania’s city of Galați close to the border with Ukraine, Romanian radio station Pro Lider FM posted online. The apartment building was damaged and two people slightly injured, the post said. A drone without an explosive charge was found at Băsești in Maramureș county, north-western Romania and the area is secured, the broadcaster TVR said, citing local authorities.

Three oil tankers were attacked by drones on Thursday off Turkey’s Black Sea coast, according to a shipping agency. The ships are part of the “shadow fleet” exporting Russian oil, evading western sanctions. They included the Palau-flagged James II, and the Altura and Velora, flagged to Sierra Leone, said Tribeca Shipping, the agency. All crews were unharmed and the Turkish coast guard provided assistance. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and Turkish officials were unavailable for comment. Ukraine has carried out successful strikes against Russian shipping during the war.