Finland to send F-16 ammunition to Ukraine, Zelensky says after call with Stubb
Ukraine will receive ammunition for F-16 fighters from Finland in the coming days, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced following a phone call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Saturday, October 10. Zelensky said the ammunition is what currently enables the downing of jet-powered Shahed drones, and thanked Stubb for a Finnish support package aimed at protecting Ukrainian airspace. The two leaders also discussed additional Russian oil-revenue streams that could finance further aggression.
Key points
- Ukraine will receive F-16 ammunition from Finland in the coming days, Zelensky announced after a phone call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on October 10.
- Zelensky said F-16 ammunition is what currently enables the downing of jet-powered Shahed drones.
- Zelensky thanked Stubb for a Finnish support package for the protection of Ukrainian airspace.
- The two leaders discussed additional Russian revenues from oil-product exports that could fund further Russian aggression.
- Zelensky reported the conversation on Facebook and said both sides are preparing meetings and coordinating next steps.
- Finland's announcement follows recent F-16-related contributions from Belgium, Spain, Poland, and the Netherlands.
Why it matters
Finland's contribution slots into a broader European effort to keep Ukraine's F-16 fleet combat-ready against jet-powered Shahed drones, which Zelensky ties directly to current air-defense performance. It also lands against a documented shortage of air-to-air munitions and 20-mm shells, and follows recent pledges from Belgium, Spain, Poland, and the Netherlands, making Finland the latest in a sequence of F-16 sustainment commitments rather than a one-off gift.
What happened
On Saturday, October 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. After the call, Zelensky announced on Facebook that Ukraine will receive F-16 ammunition from Finland in the coming days. He said the ammunition is what currently enables the downing of jet-powered Shahed drones and thanked Stubb for a Finnish support package aimed at protecting Ukrainian airspace. Zelensky also said he informed Stubb about recent Russian strikes, and that the two discussed additional Russian revenues from oil-product exports that could be used to finance further Russian aggression. He added that both sides are preparing meetings and coordinating steps that could be useful in the current circumstances.
How international sources describe it
The supplied sources are all Ukrainian-language outlets, which uniformly center Zelensky's announcement and frame the Finnish package as both an air-defense contribution and a diplomatic outcome of the Zelensky-Stubb call. They highlight the operational rationale for F-16 ammunition, noting its specific role in downing jet-powered Shahed drones, and emphasize Zelensky's gratitude for Finland's airspace-protection support. No non-Ukrainian framing is present in the supplied material.
Background
Ukraine's Defense Forces began deploying F-16s against Russian jet-powered drones in mid-September, and a high-ranking Air Force official had reported an acute shortage of air-to-air missiles in early September. Zelensky previously stated that Ukraine needs 5,000–6,000 rounds of 20-mm caliber ammunition per day for F-16s to destroy jet-powered drones. In early October, Belgium, Spain, and Poland began transferring 20-mm shells for F-16s, Belgium announced an accelerated transfer of three F-16 fighters by the end of the year, and the Dutch prime minister promised help with F-16 maintenance, spare parts, and ammunition.