Ukraine offers Gulf nations help to counter Iranian drones
Photo: Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine has provided Gulf countries with expertise to counter Iranian drones. Kyiv is also negotiating access to interceptor missiles for air defense, according to Ukraine's Ambassador to the US, Olha Stefanishyna.
As Stefanishyna emphasizes, it was important for Ukraine to show its partners that it could offer not a political position, concern, or sympathy, but immediate action and immediate results.
The Ambassador says that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had held telephone conversations with the leaders of the Persian Gulf countries affected by the Iranian strikes.
After that, Ukraine provided them with the necessary expertise at their request. Agreements on such support have also been coordinated with the US government.
The diplomat notes that Iranian Shahed-type drones have been one of the key instruments of aggression since December 2022.
According to her, these drones were created and transferred to Russia specifically for strikes on Ukrainian cities.
"These drones were developed and transferred to Russia deliberately for strikes on cities to kill civilians, not for use on the front line," she explains.
According to Stefanishyna, Iran used similar technology during the recent Israeli-American operation in Iran.
She also adds that, in parallel with assisting its partners, Ukraine is negotiating access to interceptor missiles for air defense systems.
The Ambassador stresses that these issues are not directly related, but with the expansion of the conflict, the need for such missiles will only grow. Ukraine is coordinating with its European allies to avoid disruptions in their supply.
In addition, Stefanyishyna calls for not ignoring the role of Russia and China in supporting Iran.
Why did they turn to Ukraine for help
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had sent interceptor drones and a team of experts to protect US military bases in Jordan.
According to him, the US asked Kyiv for help on March 5, and the Ukrainian team left the next day.
Earlier, Western media reported that the United States was interested in Ukrainian interceptor drones for use in operations in the Middle East.
In particular, because of their significantly lower cost, most of these drones cost only a few thousand dollars or even less.
For comparison, PAC-3 missiles used by the Patriot air defense system can cost about $4 million per unit and are used to intercept missiles.
At the same time, one Shahed-type kamikaze drone is estimated to cost approximately $30,000.
