Finland will deliver ammunition for Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets within days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday, 10 October, after speaking by telephone with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
The shipment is part of Finland’s 35th military assistance package for Ukraine, valued at approximately 1 million euros. The decision comes as Russian missile and drone attacks continue across Ukraine, placing further pressure on the country’s air defence systems.
Zelenskyy announced the planned delivery in a post on Facebook, saying the ammunition would help Ukrainian forces intercept Russian jet-powered Shahed drones used in attacks on cities and infrastructure. He did not disclose the type or quantity of ammunition included in the shipment.
Stubb also confirmed the conversation in a post on X, identifying air defence as a central element of Finland’s latest military assistance to Ukraine.
The Finnish Ministry of Defence announced the assistance package on Friday, 9 October, following an urgent request from Kyiv. The government brought forward its decision in response to Ukraine’s immediate defence needs.
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said Finland would continue supplying military equipment to support Ukraine.
“We will not close our eyes to Ukrainians’ hour of need. Instead, we will stand with Ukraine and continue our materiel assistance deliveries,” Hakkanen said in a statement published by the Ministry of Defence.
The Finnish president formally approved the package on 9 October following a government proposal. According to the Defence Ministry, the assistance consists of one category of military equipment drawn from Finnish Defence Forces stocks. Officials have not publicly identified the equipment in detail.
The latest delivery brings the total value of Finland’s military equipment assistance to Ukraine to approximately 3.6 billion euros since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Helsinki is also preparing another, larger assistance package, although its value and delivery schedule have not been announced.
Ukraine has used Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets to strengthen its air defences and respond to Russian aerial attacks. Denmark and the Netherlands supplied approximately 40 F-16s to Ukraine during 2024 and 2025, although Ukrainian authorities have not disclosed how many aircraft remain operational. The ammunition Finland plans to send is intended to support Ukraine’s efforts to counter incoming aerial threats.
Zelenskyy and Stubb also discussed a recent agreement involving US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning Russian diesel supplies to American and international markets. The development has raised questions about the wider international response to the war and the role of sanctions on Russian energy exports.
Russian strikes in southeastern Ukraine on Saturday killed 15 people, including three children, according to the original report. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of responding to the US decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports by launching five glide bombs at residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia. His account linked the attacks to the broader dispute over the US-Russia agreement.
Zelenskyy described the agreement as a new challenge for Ukraine and said Kyiv and Helsinki were coordinating further diplomatic discussions and responses. Earlier in the week, Russian attacks reportedly killed nearly 80 civilians across Ukraine over a two-day period.
Finland’s latest military assistance package adds to its ongoing support for Ukraine as Kyiv seeks ammunition and equipment to protect its population and infrastructure from continued Russian attacks. The delivery is expected within days, but Finnish officials have not disclosed further technical details about the ammunition or the planned arrival date.
