Kyiv to deploy drone-defense specialists to Middle East following urgent request from United States

President Zelensky orders Ukrainian specialists to the Middle East to help the US and Gulf allies counter Iranian Shahed drones using Kyiv's combat-tested expertise.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 9:46 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from France 24

High-stakes military cooperation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that he has instructed his military to provide "specific support" to the United States and several Middle Eastern nations to counter the threat of Iranian-made Shahed drones. The announcement follows a direct request from Washington as U.S. bases and regional partners face hundreds of drone and missile strikes launched by Tehran. Zelensky confirmed he has held discussions with leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait to coordinate this unprecedented security partnership.

Kyiv’s battle-tested expertise

Over the course of its four-year war with Russia, Ukraine has developed a world-leading ecosystem for intercepting the Shahed-136, a loitering munition Moscow has used extensively to target Ukrainian energy grids and cities. Ukrainian engineers have pioneered the use of "acoustic-passive-active" sensor networks and low-cost interceptor drones—some costing as little as $1,000—that can destroy incoming aerial threats mid-air. These methods offer a cost-effective alternative to expensive Patriot interceptor missiles, which are currently in short supply for both the U.S. and Ukraine.

Strategy of "Interception Swaps"

A key element of this cooperation involves a potential trade-off to bolster Ukraine’s own defenses. Zelensky has proposed an exchange where Ukraine provides its specialized interceptor drones and technical operators to Middle Eastern allies in return for missiles for Patriot air defense systems. This strategy aims to address Ukraine’s critical shortage of ballistic missile interceptors while helping Gulf nations—many of which have large stockpiles of Patriot munitions—deal with the saturation of low-cost Iranian drones.