Ukraine deploys units to five Middle East countries to intercept drones
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said that Kyiv wanted money and technology in return for its help in the Middle East, although this still had to be agreed.
An Emirates aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on Mar 16, 2026. (File photo: AFP)
KYIV: Ukraine has deployed military units to five Middle Eastern countries to help protect critical and civilian infrastructure against drones, Ukrainian security council secretary Rustem Umerov said on Friday (Mar 20) after visiting the region.
He said the teams had been sent to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, which have come under fire during the Iran war. Further steps for "long-term security cooperation" have been outlined with each of the five nations, he said, without giving details.
"Ukrainian military specialists are operating in each of these countries under the coordination of the National Security and Defense Council," Umerov wrote on X.
Kyiv has said nearly a dozen countries have sought its help and advice in defending against cheap kamikaze drones, which Iran is using against its Gulf neighbours. Russia has launched similar drones at Ukraine since its 2022 invasion, and Kyiv has developed its own advanced interceptor drone capabilities.
Although Gulf states operate sophisticated US-made air defence systems, the missiles they use are in short supply and they cost much more than Iran's Shahed drones.
Moscow has bombarded Ukraine with nearly 60,000 Shaheds and similar systems. It initially bought thousands of them from Iran, before establishing its own production facilities to make them under licence. Ukraine has also launched drone attacks against Russia, although on a smaller scale.
UKRAINE WANTS MONEY AND TECHNOLOGY IN RETURN
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week Kyiv wanted money and technology in return for its help in the Middle East, although this still had to be agreed.
Zelenskyy has said the US was among the nations that sought Kyiv's help, and that Ukrainian specialists had been sent to a US military base in Jordan. He said there were over 200 Ukrainian military experts in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump, who has a rocky relationship with Zelenskyy, has denied that Washington needs Kyiv's help in downing drones.
Umerov said on Friday that drone interception units were initially protecting civilian and critical infrastructure, and work was underway to expand their coverage areas.
The teams were using Ukrainian technology to counter drone attacks and partners were consulting with them, he said.
Zelenskyy said he had ordered Umerov, the military and the foreign ministry to assess "the real readiness" of countries to join international initiatives to secure the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway for global energy supplies, effectively closed since US-Israeli attacks began on Iran on Feb 28.
"It is important that Ukraine's global significance in ensuring security and the quality of Ukrainian security expertise in safeguarding lives are recognised by all partners," he wrote on Telegram.
