Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones for the US and its allies in the Middle East after they launched a war against Iran, in a rare disclosure of Kyiv’s involvement in the conflict.
Mr Zelensky said the anti-drone operations were a part of a broader effort to help partners counter similar weapons as those used by Russia in Ukraine.
This marks the first public acknowledgement of Kyiv’s assistance to the US and its allies in the region. It comes days after the US and Iran reached a tentative ceasefire.
Ukrainian forces, Mr Zelensky said, took part in active operations using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.
He did not disclose which nations the operations were conducted in. “This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defence system that can actually work,” he claimed.
He claimed the Mideast nations opened up their defence systems to Ukrainian experts who then advised them how to make them stronger.
“We also shot down drones with jet engines. This is a very good signal, I think. We showed that this works. Now it is only a matter of time before we begin mass production of interceptors that will destroy drones with jet engines,” Mr Zelensky said.
Earlier in March, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine was assisting five Mideast nations in countering Iranian drone attacks.
He claimed that the US and European countries had requested similar support, owing to Kyiv’s growing expertise in drone defence, acquired over more than four years of war against Russia’s drone and missile attacks.
Ukraine says it is now a leading producer of cheap, effective, battle-tested drone interceptors, among a range of aerial defence systems, that are crucial to its defence against Russian attacks.
Ukraine reportedly deployed 228 drone and military defence specialists to the Middle East after the US and Israel attacked Iran, helping out countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan.
In return, Ukraine sought agreements with the Gulf nations to bolster its energy stability.
“We are helping strengthen their security in exchange for contributions to our country’s resilience,” Mr Zelensky said. “This is far more than simply receiving money.”
The Ukrainian leader made a surprise visit in late March to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar just as they were fighting off Iranian drone and missile attacks.
Mr Zelensky said Kyiv had locked 10-year agreements with the three countries. He was looking to build long-term strategic ties with the Gulf nations, including joint production, investment, energy cooperation, and the sharing of battlefield experience.
“Ukrainian companies will work with the armed forces of these countries to protect specific facilities. My task is to negotiate volumes, services, and types of weaponry. Security talks are currently underway with Oman, and we are also in discussions with Kuwait and Bahrain – this is in addition to the countries we have already reached agreements with, which everyone has seen,” he said on social media.
Mr Zelensky detailed the support Ukraine would receive in return. “In some cases, it involves interceptors to protect our energy infrastructure, in others there are financial arrangements,” he said. “All of this will strengthen our energy stability – we have agreements in place for a year. There are also supplies of oil and diesel for Ukraine.”
“In some cases, we receive crude oil that will be delivered to refineries in Europe for processing. In others, we are talking about finished products – diesel,” he added. “So in essence, we are helping strengthen their security in exchange for contributions to our country’s resilience – and this is far more than simply receiving money.”
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