Will Ukrainians fight in the Middle East? Intelligence responds
Photo: Deputy chief of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Vadym Skibitskiy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine possesses exceptional combat experience in intercepting Iranian Shahed drones and is ready to share it with partners. But it will not send its troops to participate in a mission in the Middle East, according to the deputy chief of the Defense Intelligence, Vadym Skibitskyi.
“We have the expertise to understand from which direction, when, and at what time they launch the Shaheds. And along what route they fly. This is the practical experience of our military in interception,” Skibitskyi said.
He stressed that effective defense against such threats is based on the comprehensive interaction of various means.
“Ukrainian air defense relies on multi-layered coordination — from mobile fire groups to anti-aircraft missile systems and electronic warfare assets. All of this must operate in complex incorporation, rather than as a separate type of weapon,” the HUR representative added.
Skibitskyi emphasized that Ukraine is offering partners an intellectual resource, lessons learned under continuous fire.
“We are not saying that we are going to participate (in missions abroad - ed.) in practice. But we offer shared experience, since this threat remains relevant for everyone,” he noted.
Ukraine’s assistance in countering Shaheds
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that his country would involve experts from Ukraine to help Persian Gulf countries shoot down Iranian strike drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that he had not received any requests regarding the involvement of Ukrainian experts in countering Iranian drones in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine could help Middle Eastern countries destroy Iranian Shaheds if Arab leaders convince Moscow to conclude a ceasefire.
The Ukrainian president also offered Ukrainian interceptor drones to Persian Gulf countries. In return, he expects to receive PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot system, which Ukraine is critically lacking.
