Ukraine’s years of experience in countering Russian missile and drone attacks could prove valuable for US allies in the Middle East. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) emphasize that Ukrainian approaches to defending against complex aerial threats, including mass missile and drone strikes, should serve as a benchmark for countries in the region.
This is reported by Finway
Ukrainian Experience in Countering Iranian Drones
“US allies and partners in the Middle East should learn from Ukraine’s years of experience in defending against nearly nightly large-scale Russian missile and drone strike packages, some of which are largely composed of Iranian-origin strike drones,” their report states.
The ISW report mentions a statement by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who expressed the intention to involve Ukrainian specialists in the fight against Iranian drones. Ukraine responded that it is ready to share its expertise, and President’s advisor Oleksandr Kamyshin confirmed the openness to cooperation.
Experts remind us that Ukrainian military forces regularly repel massive attacks from Russia using hundreds of drones, including upgraded Shaheds, which Russia has adapted to enhance range, endurance, and lethality. Ukraine continuously improves its multi-layered air defense by combining classic systems with mobile ground units, as well as utilizing aircraft and interceptor drones.
Increase in Attacks and International Response
According to Bloomberg, in just the first 48 hours of the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, which began on February 28, Gulf countries—Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE—intercepted 385 Iranian missiles and 881 drones. These figures only pertain to the aerial targets destroyed by these five states and do not account for missiles and drones that reached their targets.
ISW recorded at least 58 instances of Iranian drone strikes from February 28 to March 2 but notes that the actual number may be significantly higher as regional states report statistics differently.
On March 2, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine had not yet received official requests from the UK or other countries regarding the involvement of its experts in combating Iranian drones. He emphasized that Ukrainian drone operators and air defense specialists possess a high level of professionalism and that Ukraine is ready to share its developments. On the same day, Zelensky informed Bloomberg that in the event of a ceasefire, Ukraine could send its best interceptor drone operators to assist countries in the Middle East.
Following the first wave of strikes on February 28, carried out as part of a joint US-Israeli operation, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other high-ranking officials of the Iranian regime were killed. In response, Iran launched massive missile and drone attacks not only against Israel and US targets but also against several regional states that Tehran considers allies of Washington. Both military and civilian targets were hit—residential buildings, hotels, and airports. Military forces from European countries present in the Middle East were also targeted.