Zelenskyy: Ukraine sent drone experts to protect US bases in Jordan
Kyiv • UNN
Zelenskyy confirmed the dispatch of specialists to combat Iranian UAVs. Kyiv hopes to receive diplomatic support and new air defense systems.
Against the backdrop of the war in Iran extending beyond its borders, Ukraine has dispatched interceptor drones and a team of drone experts to protect American military bases in Jordan, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with The New York Times, writes UNN.
Details
The United States requested assistance on Thursday, and the Ukrainian team departed the following day, Zelenskyy said. They were expected to arrive in the Middle East shortly.
We responded immediately. I said: yes, of course, we will send our experts
The White House did not respond to questions about whether the United States had requested assistance from Ukraine.
The American-Israeli war in Iran risks diverting global attention from the war in Ukraine. But it also, the publication notes, has given Ukraine an opportunity to leverage its hard-won experience and advanced technology on a new front. The country eagerly offered assistance to American forces and their allies in the Middle East in defending against Iranian-made attack drones, which Russia has been using in Ukraine for many years.
Ukraine, the publication writes, "hopes to score points with the United States in American-brokered peace talks." As Ukraine cooperates with the United States in the Middle East, "Kyiv hopes to draw a contrast with Moscow," the publication writes.
American officials claim that Russia provided intelligence to Iran during the war, including satellite images showing the locations of American warships and military personnel.
Iran confirms military aid to Russia in war against US and Israel09.03.26, 04:04 • 16954 views
Zelenskyy said he had also seen intelligence showing that drones now flying from Iran have Russian components. The Times could not verify this claim.
The Ukrainian leader stated that he wants to help Middle Eastern countries but also has to balance these requests with Ukraine's domestic needs, as the full-scale war enters its fifth year.
The war in Iran could cut off supplies of defensive weapons, which are critically needed by Ukraine. Kyiv offered to exchange its interceptor drones with Middle Eastern countries for more powerful systems needed by Ukraine to counter Russian ballistic missiles. Ukraine also stated that it would help Middle Eastern countries in exchange for diplomatic assistance in pushing Russia towards a ceasefire, the publication writes.
Zelenskyy noted that some Middle Eastern countries have "very strong relations with Russia."
"That's why I said, 'Look, maybe they can talk to the Russians, and the Russians will pause,'" he said, adding, "In that case, of course, we can help the Middle East protect them."
No one knows more about combating long-range attack drones now flying from Iran, the publication notes.
According to Zelenskyy, in the days after the American-Israeli war in Iran began, he and his team responded to calls for help from leaders of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
During an interview with The Times on Friday, Zelenskyy said that "another team of Ukrainian experts will travel to the Middle East to help countries assess how they can protect themselves from Iranian drones, beyond simply launching expensive Patriot interceptors."
These missiles are scarce. Only 620 of the most advanced Patriots were delivered to the military in 2025, a record level.
According to Zelenskyy and European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius, Middle Eastern countries fired more than 800 Patriot missiles in the first few days of the war in Iran last week. This salvo was used to counter more than 2,000 Iranian attack drones and more than 500 ballistic missiles.
Dmytro Lytvyn, an advisor to Zelenskyy, stated that in all four years of the war in Ukraine, Kyiv received only about 600 modern Patriots, the publication writes.