Ukraine has received a request from the United States to help defend against “Shahed” drones in the Middle East. Ukrainian officials are currently negotiating with representatives of Persian Gulf countries.
Experience in Exchange for Aid to Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported the request from the United States. In a post on X, he wrote:
“I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security. Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security and protect the lives of our people.”
Politico writes about the negotiation process. According to the outlet, Ukraine offers its experience to Persian Gulf countries in exchange for funding for its defense industry. Ukrainians are also discussing drone technology exchanges with the Americans.
For Ukraine, the negotiations could result in financial assistance. Ukraine can also get American interceptor missiles for Ukrainian Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine needs them to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. The money is also important at a time when Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has vetoed a €90 billion EU loan.
According to high-ranking Ukrainian officials who spoke to Politico, the sides have not yet reached a final agreement during the negotiations.
“We do see strong interest in Ukrainian counterattacking drones from a very wide range of countries, including the United States. That is understandable: Ukraine has built unique, battle-proven solutions on how to detect, track and counter this type of threat at scale, in real conditions,” an anonymous representative of Ukraine’s defense industry said.
Ukrainian representatives also noted that any export decision requires “government-to-government coordination and must be aligned with security considerations, export controls, and broader strategic priorities.”
Context
Over four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has become a global leader in drone warfare. Since the beginning of the invasion, Iran has supplied Moscow with thousands of attack drones. Russia uses them to strike Ukrainian cities. It also produces its own “Shahed” drones.
Iranian drones are now attacking US bases and cities in the Persian Gulf, as well as airports and oil and gas facilities.
In the first days of the war with Iran, the US and its allies in the Persian Gulf used air defense missiles to shoot down Iranian “Shaheds.” Each interceptor missile costs several million dollars.
During the war, Ukraine has gained experience in shooting down drones with anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, inexpensive missiles, and interceptor drones. Zelensky previously offered Middle Eastern countries Ukraine’s unique experience in exchange for achieving a temporary ceasefire with Russia.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that the Pentagon and at least one Persian Gulf country were considering buying Ukrainian interceptor drones. A representative of Ukraine’s defense industry confirmed this information.
