The United States requested Ukraine’s assistance in defending against Iranian Shahed drones in the Middle East. Ukrainian specialists and interceptor drones will deploy to help secure U.S. partners in the region.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this during a briefing on March 5.
Details
Zelenskyy instructed authorities to provide the necessary equipment and deploy Ukrainian specialists capable of protecting against drone attacks. He emphasized that Ukraine supports partners who simultaneously assist Ukraine and protect lives in the region.
Forbes Ukraine reports that Ukraine possesses several effective interceptor drones—Sting, Merops, P1-SUN, and “Blyskavka.” Developed by private companies and state engineers, these drones aim to destroy Iranian Shahed drones cheaply and in large numbers, offsetting the shortage of costly Patriot missiles in Gulf countries.
The U.S. and at least one regional country are negotiating to purchase Ukrainian interceptor drones. Shooting down a single Shahed with a Patriot missile costs over $13.5 million, whereas a Ukrainian drone costs only a few thousand dollars.
Context
Ukraine uses its drone countermeasure technologies both in the war against Russia and to support international partners. Zelenskyy stressed that cooperation with Middle Eastern countries must not compromise Ukraine’s own defense capabilities.
The United Kingdom also shows interest in training regional states to “take down” Iranian drones, though no official requests have been confirmed yet.
Last year, Ukraine intercepted over 50,000 Shahed attacks and decoy drones, and threats continue to rise in 2026.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that U.A.E. authorities found wreckage of drones with Russian “Geran-2” markings, reportedly shot down by air defense during a major Iranian attack on Dubai.
