US and Qatar discuss acquisition of Ukrainian interceptor drones against Iranian "Shaheds" - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
The US and Qatar are discussing the acquisition of Ukrainian drones to shoot down Iranian "Shaheds," a source reports.
The US and Qatar are negotiating with Ukraine to purchase Ukrainian interceptor drones as a cheap alternative for shooting down Iranian Shahed drones amid the war in the Persian Gulf, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, UNN reports.
Details
The early-stage negotiations are taking place between government officials, not companies, and the technology being discussed includes systems for detecting approaching enemy drones and disrupting their communication signals, the source said.
Qatar's International Media Office did not respond to a request for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday evening that the United States had asked Ukraine for help in destroying Shaheds.
"I have instructed to provide the necessary resources and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists to ensure the necessary security," he said, without elaborating or mentioning Ukrainian interceptor drones.
Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had also received similar requests from Middle Eastern countries. He also said he was ready to exchange drones for anti-aircraft missiles.
A second source, a Western diplomat in the Persian Gulf, said a Ukrainian delegation visited Doha this week to meet with Qatari officials to share Ukraine's experience in drone defense. The diplomat said the delegation also visited Abu Dhabi.
After the US and Israel launched a massive air strike campaign against Iran on Saturday, killing most of the Islamic Republic's top leadership, Tehran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Persian Gulf countries.
Persian Gulf countries managed to intercept most of these attacks using American Patriot systems with PAC-3, which Ukraine uses to protect its energy and military infrastructure from Russian missiles.
However, Ukraine has developed much cheaper methods of destroying Shahed kamikaze drones during four years of Russia's invasion, which has used Iranian-designed drones for much of the war.
According to Ukrainian data, the publication writes, Russia launched 19,000 long-range drones at Ukraine this winter, most of which it shot down.
"After the war in Iran began, the Security Service of Ukraine warned Ukrainian companies not to sell weapons to Middle Eastern countries without Kyiv's permission," the first source said. The SBU and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine did not respond to requests for comment, the publication writes.
A third source said that the UK is supporting Ukraine in the initial stages of negotiations with Persian Gulf states on the use of Ukrainian drones to intercept Shaheds.
This source said that "some drones could potentially be supplied under Project Octopus - an existing joint venture between London and Kyiv to develop interceptor drones."
Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he had spoken with the leaders of the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, without elaborating.
Ukraine's negotiations with Washington were first reported by the Financial Times, but Doha's interest and the UK's involvement had not been previously covered.
Since the start of the conflict with Iran, the US and its allies in the Persian Gulf have used hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles, each costing millions of dollars.
Lockheed Martin produces about 600 PAC-3 missiles per year, although it plans to increase that number to 2,000 by 2000 under a seven-year contract with the Pentagon.
Zelenskyy proposed replacing Ukrainian interceptor drones with missiles for Patriot systems.
Taras Tymochko of the Ukrainian Come Back Alive Foundation, which has purchased tens of thousands of interceptor drones through donations, said it was unclear who, besides Ukrainian crews, would be able to operate them. "It is quite difficult to distract our pilots from their operations and send them to the Middle East," Tymochko said. "There is a significant need to expand existing training capabilities in Ukraine to share experience with our partners."