Zelensky offers Gulf states 1,000 drone interceptors a day

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to supply Gulf states with up to 1,000 drone interceptors per day during talks with regional officials, The National reported on 17 March.

The offer comes as Ukraine seeks to expand defence ties in the Middle East, particularly in countering drone threats. Zelensky said the systems had been developed during the war with Russia and could be produced at scale.

The proposal would allow countries to counter Shahed-type drone attacks using lower-cost interceptors instead of high-end missile systems. Zelensky said Ukraine could produce up to 2,000 interceptor drones daily and allocate half to partners.

He said Ukrainian systems had proven effective against Iranian-designed Shahed-136 drones used by Russian forces. Ukraine has spent three years defending cities including Kyiv from sustained aerial attacks.

Zelensky said 201 Ukrainian anti-drone specialists were already deployed in the Middle East, with a further 34 ready to deploy. Teams are operating in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and are expected to expand to Kuwait.

He said the personnel were supporting air defence efforts, including tracking and intercepting drones. Ukraine has developed systems combining radar, sensors and mobile response units to counter aerial threats.

“These are military experts, experts who know how to help, how to defend against Shahed drones,” he said during an address to the British parliament.

Ukraine has developed a range of interceptor systems, including the Sting drone produced by Ukrainian company Wild Hornets. The system is priced at about $2,100 and has been used to destroy thousands of Russian drones over the past year.

By comparison, Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles cost about $3.5 million and are in limited supply globally. Ukrainian interceptor drones have been used to target incoming aerial threats.

Zelensky made the comments during a visit to the United Kingdom, where he met Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Starmer said support for Ukraine remained a priority despite ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “There’s obviously a conflict in Iran going on, in the Middle East, but we can’t lose focus on what’s going on in Ukraine,” he said.

Several Gulf states have invested in air defence systems following drone and missile attacks linked to Yemen’s Houthi movement. Ukraine’s experience in countering such threats has strengthened defence cooperation with countries in the region.

The National, Business Insider, Maghrebi.org