Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that his nation’s technology was instrumental in shooting down Iranian drones in the Middle East. This revelation follows his announcement last month regarding the deployment of expert teams to the region after the onset of the United States-Israeli conflict with Iran.
On Friday, Zelenskyy posted on X, stating that Ukrainian forces participated in operations utilizing domestically manufactured interceptor drones against “Shahed” drones. These are similar to those employed by Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
“Did we destroy Iranian ‘Shaheds’? Yes, we did. Did we do it in just one country? No, in several. And in my view, this is a success,” Zelenskyy told journalists, though he did not specify which countries received assistance.
He clarified, “This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defense system that can actually work. In those countries that opened up their air defense systems to us, our experts were able to very quickly advise how to make those systems stronger.”
Zelenskyy further added, “We also shot down drones with jet engines. This is a very good signal, I think. We showed that this works. Now it is only a matter of time before we begin mass production of interceptors that will destroy drones with jet engines.” Kyiv has a track record of using cost-effective drone interceptors to neutralize Russian drones before they reach their targets.
Amid a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, the Ukrainian leader mentioned that personnel had been operating in multiple countries to bolster their air defenses, having previously confirmed the deployment of 228 Ukrainian experts.
In return for Ukraine’s support, Zelenskyy indicated that Kyiv was receiving weapons to safeguard its energy infrastructure and, in some instances, financial agreements.
Last month, Zelenskyy visited several Gulf nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, where he signed defense agreements with the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
While Zelenskyy cautioned that the upcoming months would be challenging for Ukraine given increasing battlefield pressure, he noted that partners continue to supply Kyiv with air defense systems, with new Patriot systems arriving recently.
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