Zelenskyy: Over 200 Ukrainian specialists help intercept Shahed drones in Middle East
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
As of now, 201 Ukrainian military experts are in the Middle East, with another 34 ready for deployment, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an address to the UK Parliament.
Zelenskyy stressed that these are military experts who know how to defend against Shahed drones.
"Our teams are already in the Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and on the way to Kuwait. We are working with several other countries. Agreements are already in place. We do not want this terror of the Iranian regime against its neighbours to succeed," the Ukrainian President said.
Ukraine’s assistance in the Middle East
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had sent interceptor drones and a team of experts to help protect US military bases in Jordan.
According to him, Washington requested assistance from Kyiv on March 5, and the Ukrainian team departed the very next day.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump says he does not need help in the Middle East, stating that Zelenskyy is the last person he would seek assistance from.
Earlier, Western media reported that the United States was interested in Ukrainian interceptor drones for use in operations in the Middle East. The reason is their relatively low cost — most of these drones cost only a few thousand dollars or even less.
In addition, Israeli outlet Ynet reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had allegedly sent a request to Ukraine to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The request came amid Ukraine’s extensive experience in intercepting Iranian drones.
