Zelenskyy Says Ukrainian Drone Experts Deployed to Middle East to Counter Iran Threat

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that more than 200 Ukrainian military specialists have been deployed to the Gulf region and broader Middle East to assist in defending against Iranian drone attacks.

Speaking to members of the United Kingdom Parliament in London on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said 201 anti-drone experts are already on the ground, with an additional 34 personnel on standby for deployment.

“These are military experts who understand how to defend against Shahed drones,” he said, referring to Iranian-designed unmanned aerial systems widely used in modern conflicts.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian teams are currently operating in United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and are en route to Kuwait, with additional cooperation agreements already secured with other countries in the region.

“We do not want this terror of the Iranian regime against its neighbours to succeed,” he said, emphasizing Ukraine’s growing role in global security partnerships.

Zelenskyy also accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia and transferring the technology needed for their production. He noted that Russia has since modified the drones and incorporated its own components.

“These drones are designed for low-cost destruction of expensive critical infrastructure,” he said, adding that their use extends beyond Ukraine and poses a broader international threat.

The Ukrainian leader described the relationship between Moscow and Tehran as a strategic alliance built on shared hostility. “The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred, and that is why they are brothers in weapons,” he stated.

During his visit to London, Zelenskyy held talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, focusing on defence cooperation and regional security.

He highlighted Ukraine’s rapid advancements in drone warfare, claiming that drones now account for approximately 90 percent of Russian battlefield losses. Ukraine has expanded its capabilities from aerial and maritime drones to include interceptor systems specifically designed to neutralize incoming threats.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine can produce up to 2,000 drone interceptors per day—half for domestic use and the rest available to support allied nations.

“If a Shahed needs to be stopped in the Emirates, Europe, or the United Kingdom, we have the capability,” he said, stressing that success depends on technology, investment, and international cooperation.

However, Donald Trump has indicated that the United States does not require Ukraine’s assistance in countering Iranian drone threats in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Starmer warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin should not benefit from tensions involving Iran, whether through rising oil prices or potential sanctions relief.

During the visit, the United Kingdom and Ukraine signed a new defence partnership agreement aimed at combining Ukraine’s battlefield expertise with Britain’s industrial capacity to scale up the production of drones and advanced defence technologies.

The development signals Ukraine’s increasing influence in global defence innovation, particularly in counter-drone warfare, as conflicts involving unmanned systems continue to reshape modern military strategy.