Zelensky: Ukrainian Anti-Drone Specialists Already Working in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE
AI Analysis
Ukrainian anti-drone specialists are actively working in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to counter Iranian drone threats. Ukraine is leveraging its experience with Iranian-made drones to provide expertise and potentially interceptor drones to Middle Eastern allies.
Key Takeaways
- Ukrainian anti-drone teams are deployed in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
- Ukraine offers expertise gained from countering Iranian-made Shahed drones.
- Discussions are ongoing about supplying Ukrainian interceptor drones to Gulf States.
- Ukraine has previously sent drone experts and interceptors to US bases in Jordan.
- Zelensky emphasizes Ukraine's strategic role in assisting the US and Gulf allies.
Why It Matters
The deployment of Ukrainian anti-drone specialists in the Middle East signifies a strategic collaboration to counter Iranian drone threats, enhancing regional security. This move also strengthens Ukraine's geopolitical ties with the US and Gulf States, potentially leading to further defense collaborations and technology exchanges.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Wednesday that Ukrainian anti-drone experts have begun work on defending Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates from Iranian attacks.
The US and Israel launched a massive air bombardment campaign on Iran on Feb. 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and plunging the region into turmoil.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Ukraine – which has now been under attack from Iranian-made Shahed drones and the Russian-made drones modeled on them for over four years – has responded by offering material assistance to the countries bearing the brunt of Iran’s response.
“Three of our teams have gone – strong teams of experts, military personnel, engineers, different people. Today the military are already communicating and already working,” Zelensky told reporters, with his spokesperson later confirming that he was referring to the three Gulf states, according to AFP.
Kyiv is also reportedly in talks with the US and the Gulf States about supplying more than its expertise. Ukrainian interceptor drones are a cheap and efficient alternative to traditional air-defense missiles.
Zelensky previously said that Ukraine had sent interceptor drones and a team of drone experts to protect US military bases in Jordan.
Zelensky met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II to discuss security in the region on March 4. On March 9, he said that Ukraine had sent drone specialists and interceptor drones to help defend US military bases in Jordan from Iranian drone attacks.
Although his administration has requested Ukraine’s aid in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump has continued to press Zelensky to accept a deal to end Russia’s full-scale war on any terms.
“It’s unthinkable that [Zelensky is] the obstacle. You don’t have the cards. Now he’s got even less cards,” Trump said on March 5.
Also on Wednesday, Zelensky appeared to respond to these comments when asked by an interviewer whether Ukraine now “has the cards” in light of its role in assisting the US.
“I don’t know, you tell me,” Zelensky said. “I think yes. But I think that we had them.”
“It’s like a good player,” he continued. “You can have good cards, but it’s not important to show everybody that you have these cards.”
“I think that a year ago we had them. I didn’t show them. But now everybody understands that we have,” he added.
Sophie Watson is a freelance journalist based between London and Kyiv whose work has appeared in The Economist, Columbia Journalism Review and 1843 magazine.