Almedalen 2026: Connecting Ukrainian Experience with Swedish Defence Innovation

One of the most memorable moments HUG experienced during the #Almedalen Week was getting closer to Swedish defence innovation - the full-scale replica of the JAS 39 Gripen E fighter aircraft presented by Saab in Visby.

The HUG team, together with our Ukrainian guests, could not miss the unique opportunity to step inside the aircraft, explore it firsthand, and learn more about its capabilities during an insightful guided tour. Seeing the Gripen up close and hearing about the technology behind it was a truly impressive experience for our delegation.

Later during the week, we were honoured to welcome Johansson Micael, CEO of Saab, at our joint event with the Embassy of Ukraine in Sweden. Micael shared a few words with our guests and joined a meaningful conversation with Ukrainian veterans and military experts from our delegation.

Thank you, Johansson Micael and Saab team for incredible experience and interesting conversations. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and welcoming you to a future HUG for Heroes programme.