File photo: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
The United States has asked Ukraine to help counter Iranian drone attacks in the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, adding that Kyiv would provide technical expertise and support while ensuring its own defences remain intact.“We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against ‘shaheds’ in the Middle East region,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, referring to Iranian-designed drones that have been widely used in attacks. “I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security,” he added.Ukraine has faced frequent attacks by such drones during Russia’s invasion, prompting Kyiv to develop relatively inexpensive interceptor drones designed to destroy incoming aerial threats mid-air. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would assist partners that help ensure its own security, adding: “Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security and protect the lives of our people.”
The Shahed-136 is an Iranian-designed loitering munition, often described as a “suicide drone”, developed by Iran’s defence industry and widely used in regional conflicts. It is designed to loiter over a target area before diving into its objective and detonating on impact.The Shahed-131 is a smaller variant of the Shahed-136 and serves a similar loitering munition role. It is lighter, carries a smaller warhead and has a shorter operational range, typically estimated at several hundred kilometres.
Zelenskyy indicated that Kyiv could provide expertise and interceptor drones to help defend military bases and civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries facing Iranian attacks. However, he stressed that any assistance would be conditional. “Of course, any assistance we provide will only be on the condition that it does not weaken our own defence in Ukraine and that it serves as an investment in our diplomatic capabilities,” he said.The Ukrainian leader has also proposed a possible swap arrangement with US allies in the Gulf, offering interceptor drones in exchange for additional Patriot air defence missiles needed to counter Russian ballistic attacks, reported BBC.
