Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday, March 17 that a total of 201 Ukrainian military experts have been deployed to the Middle East and Gulf region to help defend against “Shahed” drones, with another 34 experts ready for deployment.
According to a report by Ukrinform, Zelensky made the remarks while visiting the United Kingdom and addressing members of the British Parliament. He noted that the personnel are all military specialists with real combat experience who focus specifically on drone defense.
Zelensky said Ukrainian teams are currently deployed in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and are on their way to Kuwait. He emphasized that the deployments were carried out at the request of partners including the United States and are part of a broader drone cooperation initiative proposed by Ukraine that is still being advanced.
He added that Ukraine is cooperating with multiple countries and has already signed related agreements. Zelensky also stressed that Ukraine does not want the regime in Iran to succeed in actions targeting neighboring states.
Zelensky said Ukraine is willing to offer similar cooperation to all reliable partners, including practical collaboration in drone technology and potential future defense alliances. He argued that it would be unwise for any country to exclude Ukraine’s battle-tested capabilities from its own security system.
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According to CNN, Zelensky also discussed how drones are reshaping modern warfare. He noted that an Iranian-made “Shahed” drone costs roughly $50,000, while the missiles used by the United States and its allies to intercept them cost about $4 million, highlighting a significant cost disparity.
He said that since early last year, Russia has expanded production of the Iranian-designed drones, leading Ukraine to face frequent combined attacks involving both drones and missiles.
With Western-supplied traditional air defense systems in short supply, Ukraine has developed a layered defense system that includes electronic warfare, helicopters, modified cargo aircraft used for aerial interception, and ground forces using heavy machine guns and surface-to-air missiles.
Zelensky said Ukraine is willing to share its experience and technology with allies. He revealed that Ukraine can currently produce about 2,000 interceptor drones per day and could supply roughly half of them to partners.
In addition, the report said Zelensky and Keir Starmer recently signed a joint statement in London confirming that the United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with at least £3 billion in support annually through the 2030/31 fiscal year.
By Gao Yun
