Eleven countries have asked Ukraine for assistance in countering Shahed-type drones as Iran’s regional conflict escalates and attacks targeting Gulf states continue, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week.
Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv had reviewed multiple requests for security support related to defending against Shahed drones and similar aerial threats. Ukraine has gained extensive experience in combating the drones during its war with Russia, which began with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
He said Ukraine is prepared to assist other countries facing similar threats but emphasised that support would be directed toward those that also help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens. Zelenskyy did not specify which countries may not receive assistance.
“Some requests have already been met with concrete decisions and specific support,” the Ukrainian president said.
Earlier, Zelenskyy revealed that Kyiv had already deployed interceptor drones and a team of specialists to help defend United States military facilities in Jordan.
Ukraine has developed extensive expertise in defending against Shahed drones over the past three years of war. According to Ukrainian officials, the country now intercepts about 80 percent of incoming drones.
Kyiv’s air defence strategy has evolved into a multi-layered system that combines mobile fire groups, electronic warfare capabilities and domestically developed interceptor drones. Many of the mobile units operate using pickup trucks equipped with heavy machine guns to track and shoot down incoming drones.
Oleksandr Syrskyi said that interceptor drones have become a crucial part of the country’s defence network. In February alone, more than 70 percent of Shahed-type drones targeting the capital and the surrounding Kyiv region were destroyed using interceptor systems.
The growing international demand for Ukraine’s expertise comes as tensions between Iran and several countries in the Gulf intensify.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials have accused Ukraine of becoming involved in the broader conflict. Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, said on social media that by providing drone support to Israel, Ukraine had “effectively become involved in the war.”
Azizi also warned that the entire country could become a target for Iran.
Iran has been one of Russia’s closest partners since the start of the invasion of Ukraine. Tehran supplied Moscow with Shahed-type drones used in attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Later, Iran also transferred the technology that allowed Russia to begin producing similar drones domestically.
As the conflict in the Middle East widens, Ukraine’s battlefield experience in countering drones is drawing growing attention from governments seeking to strengthen their air defence systems against the increasingly common threat posed by unmanned aerial attacks.
