Ukrainian drone experts are on the way to Qatar, UAE & Saudi Arabia to help shoot down Iranian drones

Ukraine has sent military experts to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as a first step of a campaign to assist in the defense against Iranian drones, President Volodomyr Zelensky said Tuesday.

“When it comes to shooting down massive Shahed attacks, only Ukrainian experience can really help with this today,” he said in an audio message sent to several outlets.

Writing on 𝕏, he said the Ukrainian experts aim to “help protect lives and stabilize the situation,” also noting Iranian threats against shipping in the Hormuz Straits.

“Ukraine has the greatest experience in the world in countering attack drones, and without our experience, it will be very difficult for the Gulf region, the entire Middle East, and partners in Europe and America to build strong protection,” he declared.

However, Zelensky also noted that “Those now seeking Ukraine’s help must continue to assist our own defense – first and foremost, our air defense. Last year, we already proposed a drone agreement to the United States. This is the right way forward: to partner with us in the production and use of drones, and everyone now sees that there is no alternative to this approach.”

Our team is now on its way to the Gulf region, where they can help protect lives and stabilize the situation. We see the challenges that exist now: the Iranian regime has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz – one of the main routes for supplying oil and gas to the global… pic.twitter.com/VC3EHKREKT

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 10, 2026

Zelensky’s communications adviser also told reporters that Ukrainian experts had been deployed to a U.S. military base in Jordan, where Iranian drone attacks reportedly damaged an air defense radar.

Overall, Zelensky said that eleven countries, including those “neighbouring Iran, European states, and the U.S.,” have requested assistance from Ukraine, which has gathered years of experience fighting off massive swarms of drones launched by Russia.

Many of those were either produced and sold by the Iranian regime, or produced under license based on its plans for the relatively cheap but deadly Shahed-type drones, which have been launched against Gulf states by the hundreds over the past 10 days.

Igor Fedirko, CEO at the Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry, told AFP that “No one in the world has the expertise and experience that we do. We use combined systems, acoustic detectors, and sensors. We use early warning systems, different types of radars.”

According to date from Ukraine’s air force, it has consistently intercepted over 80% of incoming Russian drones, which are fired in swarms of hundreds per night. For example, it reported stopping 453 out of 480 incoming drones last Saturday.

“Ukraine needs all the financing it can get at this moment, and then Ukraine can send some Shahed interceptors. That seems like a pretty good deal for everyone. So it’s not only about the United States,” Eric Ciaramella, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told The Hill on Tuesday.

“It really is to show that this capability is relevant, and other countries should be thinking about turning to Ukraine for solutions in the future.”  

Meanwhile, there were reports that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence regarding U.S. targets in the region.

Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading U.S. mediation efforts between Ukraine and Russia, said he “hopes” Russian denials about these reports were true. “Let’s hope that they’re not sharing.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump and Witkoff have told Russia that if “that was taking place, it’s not something they would be happy with and they hope that it is not taking place.” 

Nevertheless, Zelensky wrote on 𝕏 that “Russia started supporting the Iranian regime with drones. It will definitely help with missiles, and it is also helping them with air defense.”

He also warned of a scenario where Russia could send troops to support Iran next. “Given the situation, there is only one question: when and which country will be the first to support the Iranian regime by sending troops? As happened with Russia, when North Korea sent 10,000 soldiers, who are now deployed in Russia but can be sent to Ukraine.”