KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian officials are helping five countries in the Middle East and Gulf region counter attacks on their territory by Iranian drones, while the United States and European countries are among others who have requested support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday.
Ukraine is also looking into whether it can have a role in restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war, he said.
Ukraine has become one of the world’s leading producers of cutting-edge, battle-tested drone interceptors that are cheap and effective. They play a key part in its defense against Russia’s more than 4-year-old full-scale invasion.
“Our teams are already working with five countries on countering (Iran’s) ‘Shahed’ drones — we have provided expert assessments and are helping build a defense system,” Zelensky said on X.
Iran is an ally in Russia’s invasion. Tehran signed a broad cooperation pact with Moscow last year.
Zelensky has previously said he hoped to provide expertise to Arab Gulf countries targeted by Iranian Shahed drones, versions of which are heavily used by Moscow’s invading forces, in exchange for advanced air defense missiles that Ukraine needs to counter devastating Russian aerial attacks. Kyiv fears it will get fewer of the sophisticated missiles it needs to fend off the Russian strikes as the Iran war burns through stockpiles.
Protecting critical infrastructure
Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council who led a delegation to the Middle East and Gulf this week, said that Ukraine has deployed interceptor units there to help protect civilian and critical infrastructure and is working to expand that protection.
Ukraine is assessing further steps for long-term security cooperation with each of those countries, Umerov said.
Zelensky said in audio messages sent via WhatsApp in response to journalists’ questions that 228 Ukrainian experts are currently deployed in the region.
The US has asked for expert support for their military personnel in two areas of the region, Zelensky said, adding that Kyiv is also reviewing requests from European partners whose forces are based in the region.
Ukraine proposed to the US about a year ago a deal that includes interceptor drones, naval drones and long-range drones, Zelensky said.
The relationship between Washington and Kyiv on drone cooperation has been unclear.
Zelensky said last week that Ukraine was awaiting White House approval for an agreement on drone production. But a day later Trump spurned Ukraine’s offer of assistance, telling the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio: “No, we don’t need their help on drone defense.”
Ukraine looks to resume talks with US, Russia
Zelensky said late Thursday he has sent an official delegation to the United States in a bid to move forward suspended US-brokered talks on ending Russia’s invasion.
The trilateral talks, which have yet to produce any breakthrough on key issues, have been on ice while the Iran war has dominated international attention.
The White House did not confirm any meeting with the Ukrainian delegation.
