Ukrainian experts are actively collaborating with five countries to enhance protection against Iranian Shahed drones in the Middle East. This was reported by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, summarizing the report from the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov. He noted that additional requests are coming to Ukraine from other states that are also interested in receiving Ukrainian expert support.
This is reported by Finway
The Global Value of Ukrainian Experience in Drone Combat
As the president pointed out, Ukrainian specialists are already providing assessments and helping to build defense systems for five countries in the region. In addition, there are requests from the American side for expert support for the U.S. military in two areas. European partners, whose military forces are present in this region, have also expressed interest in Ukrainian experience.
“We are discussing in detail with partners at all necessary levels. Our teams are already working with five countries to counter the ‘Shaheds’ – providing expert assessments and helping to build a defense system. There are additional requests from other states. There are also requests from the American side regarding expert support for their military in two areas of the region. We are processing requests from European partners whose forces are based in this region,” Zelensky wrote in a Telegram message on March 20.
Ukrainian Experts in the Middle East
The president emphasized that Ukraine aims for the quickest possible stabilization of the situation around Iran, as it affects global oil and gas markets, and consequently, pricing policies in Europe and Ukraine itself. According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s principled position is to prevent any success of the terrorist activities of the Iranian regime, which has long cooperated with Russia. The president stressed that the world cannot allow terrorists to determine the fate of states and peoples.
Separately, Zelensky spoke about international cooperation to restore security in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. He instructed to involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Ukrainian military personnel in analyzing current international initiatives regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the readiness of world states to participate in stabilization missions. The president expects results from this assessment soon and emphasizes that Ukrainian expertise in security is recognized by all partners.
On March 17, Zelensky reported that 201 Ukrainian experts are already working in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, with another 34 ready to join missions. According to him, these are military personnel and specialists experienced in defending against Shahed drones. Ukrainian teams are already operating in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and are preparing for deployment to Kuwait. Agreements have also been reached with other countries in the region interested in cooperating with Ukraine. The president stressed that the deployment of military experts occurred at the request of partners, including the U.S., and that this initiative is part of the “drone agreement” proposed to Ukraine by the United States, which is still under consideration.
At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly rejected assistance to Ukraine in defending against Iranian drones on March 15, stating that Washington does not need such support, and emphasized that “the last person we need help from is Zelensky.”
Earlier, Zelensky stated that Ukraine is ready to assist Middle Eastern countries in defending against attacks from Iran by providing experts to work directly on the ground. According to the Financial Times, the U.S. and one of the Persian Gulf countries are interested in the possibility of purchasing Ukrainian interceptor drones. Meanwhile, Iran has already labeled Ukraine as a “legitimate target.”