Ukrainian military specialists deployed to the Middle East have shot down Iranian Shahed drones and jet-powered drones in several countries in the region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a press briefing, according to a Suspilne.
In March, Zelenskyy had stated that 228 Ukrainian specialists were deployed across the Middle East, assisting local air defense forces against Iranian strike UAVs. Ukraine had by then received 11 requests — from Iran's neighbors, European states, and the United States — for security support in countering Shaheds and similar threats.
"Did we destroy? Yes, we destroyed. Did we destroy in one country? No, in several. Yes, they shot down Shaheds," Zelenskyy said. "For those countries that opened their air defense system to us, our experts were able to very quickly advise how to make their system stronger. And somewhere we transferred our experience directly in defense. We also shot down jet-powered drones."
The specialists involved include drone interceptor and electronic warfare experts, Suspilne reports.
Zelenskyy said that mass production of interceptors capable of destroying jet-powered drones remains "a matter of time."
Deals with Gulf states: oil, diesel, and interceptors
Ukraine is conducting security negotiations with Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, Zelenskyy said. Defense cooperation agreements have already been signed with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, where Ukrainian companies are working with local military forces to protect specific facilities.
In exchange for security expertise, Ukraine receives what Zelenskyy described as a "contribution to resilience" — a package that goes beyond cash payments.
"Somewhere it's about interceptors to protect our energy, somewhere there are financial arrangements. All this will strengthen our energy stability – we have agreements for a year. Also oil and diesel for Ukraine. Somewhere we receive oil that will come to relevant factories in Europe for processing. And somewhere we are talking about a finished product – about diesel. That is, we are actually helping to strengthen their security in exchange for a contribution to the resilience of our country, and this is much more than just receiving money," Zelenskyy said.
He described cooperation as starting at the state-to-state level to avoid risks and ensure long-term continuity, with Ukrainian groups first demonstrating results before formal scale and financing are agreed.
On the model offered to prospective partners, Zelenskyy elaborated: "For example, a certain country cooperates with us in the security sphere for a billion a year. They want first, second, third. They are more interested in sea or energy protection. These are different approaches. We say: look, here a systematic approach is needed, you need three lines of defense. These threats you close with your own means: anti-ballistics – Patriots etc., other threats we close with our means, and all this is integrated into one system."
Zelenskyy said the discussions with Oman follow the same model already in place with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
US-Israeli military operation against Iran
On 28 February, Israel and the United States struck Iran in a series of strikes that included the capital, Tehran, continuing a bombing campaign that had begun in June 2025. President Trump accused Iran of financing and training militants in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Hamas in Palestine, and stated that the operation's objective was to destroy Iran's missile industry.
Iran responded to the 28 February strikes by attacking US bases and civilian infrastructure in neighboring countries and declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed.
By 1 March, it was confirmed that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several members of his family had been killed — ending a tenure of nearly four decades. On 8 March, Iranian state news agency Fars News reported that Iran's Assembly of Experts had formally elected Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic's third Supreme Leader.
On 23 March, Trump said the United States and Tehran had held "very successful and productive" talks on resolving the situation in the Middle East; Iran denied this.
On 7 April, Trump announced he had agreed to pause the bombing of Iran and delay further strikes for two weeks on condition that the Strait of Hormuz be unblocked. He said the ceasefire would be bilateral and described a ten-point Iranian proposal as an acceptable basis for negotiations.
Ukraine's role in the Middle East conflict
Ukraine entered the picture as a practical supplier of air defense expertise, drawing on three years of experience countering Iranian-made Shahed drones on its own territory. As the US-Israeli campaign escalated and Iranian drone and missile strikes spread across the region, several of Iran's neighbors turned to Kyiv for help.
By March 2025, 228 Ukrainian specialists — including drone interceptor operators and electronic warfare experts — were deployed across the Middle East, assisting local air defense forces. Ukraine had by then received 11 requests for security support from countries neighboring Iran, as well as from European states and the United States.
Defense cooperation agreements were signed with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, where Ukrainian companies work alongside local military personnel to protect specific facilities. Negotiations with Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain were underway. The cooperation model Ukraine offers is integrated and tiered: Ukrainian specialists assess a partner's threat environment, identify what that country's own systems — such as Patriot anti-ballistic missiles — can cover, and slot Ukrainian-provided capabilities into the gaps, building what Zelenskyy describes as a unified, multi-layer defense system.
Zelenskyy visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE as part of a broader diplomatic push through the Gulf, using the security cooperation framework as an entry point for wider economic arrangements. The deals are structured state-to-state to reduce risk and ensure continuity.
The compensation Ukraine receives is not purely financial. In exchange for deploying specialists and transferring air defense know-how, Kyiv secures interceptors for its own energy infrastructure, crude oil routed to European refineries, and direct diesel supplies — arrangements Zelenskyy described as locked in for a year at a time.
Russia is involved in the Middle East by backing allied governments, supplying weapons, and hosting negotiations between regional actors. Russia maintains ties with Iran, the Houthis, and Palestinian groups, while also coordinating with Gulf states and Israel on security and energy, positioning itself as a key broker in the region’s overlapping conflicts.
