Over the course of yesterday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on his social media that his country had accepted a request for assistance from the U.S. Armed Forces to intercept Iranian Shahed drones, which are frequently used by Russian troops in their air strikes. In particular, Kyiv has a substantial number of personnel already specialized in combat tactics against this type of unmanned system, as well as a variety of means to build its defense networks, so the president has already ordered that the support requested by Washington be ensured while the war in the Middle East continues.
Quoting Zelensky’s own statement on the social network X: “We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against the ‘shaheds’ in the Middle East region. I instructed the provision of the necessary means and to ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security. Ukraine supports partners who contribute to ensuring our security and protecting the lives of our people. Glory to Ukraine!”
According to what has been reported by U.S. media, the United States requested Ukraine’s help after Iranian attacks against multiple bases located in allied countries in the region, where casualties among deployed troops have already been recorded. In addition, during a phone interview in which he was asked about the possibility of Kyiv providing assistance in countering drones deployed by Iran, President Donald Trump said he would accept help from allies. In his own words: “I will certainly accept, you know, any help from any country.”
In this regard, it should be noted that the support sent by Ukraine—although it has not yet been detailed by Zelensky or his defense ministry—could take different forms. Beyond providing training for personnel in tactics and the use of counter-drone systems, it is worth recalling that the country has become a pioneer in developing new low-cost interceptor drones specifically designed to shoot down Shaheds, consolidating an industrial capability that would be boosted by higher demand abroad. Last Tuesday, the Ukrainian government even floated the possibility of supplying such systems in exchange for new batches of missiles for its air-defense batteries, although it is not clear whether this is a formal proposal.
Looking ahead, the Ukrainian decision also reflects concern over the close relationship between Iran and Russia, given its impact on the development of Ukraine’s own conflict, which has now been underway for more than four years. In the view of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha: “Iran has harmed European security by directly supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine (…) The Iranian regime has caused a great deal of suffering in our country by selling ‘Shahed’ drones to Russia, but it has also sown chaos, death, and destruction throughout its own region and around the world.”
The Middle East issue has also raised new concerns among Ukrainian military strategists, especially regarding the impact a prolonged war could have on the delivery of additional military aid from Western allies, who now appear to be shifting their focus to another region of the world. As we reported in mid-February, Kyiv’s European partners are already facing the challenge of depleted ammunition reserves—an illustrative case being the German announcement of a shipment of only five new PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles to equip Ukraine’s Patriot batteries.
Use of Shahed drones in the Middle East
Against the backdrop described above, it is also useful to address how Iran has been using its Shahed drones since the start of the war following Israeli and U.S. attacks, whose main objective—according to what is claimed—is to eliminate the theocratic regime’s ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons that would threaten the interests of those two countries in the region.
As of March 5, official reports issued by different defense ministries in the Middle East indicate that more than 1,000 drones launched from Iran may have been recorded, with the vast majority intercepted by air-defense networks. Breaking down the figures available so far, the United Arab Emirates said it detected some 1,072 unmanned systems in its airspace, with about 1,001 shot down. Qatar similarly reported around 39 drones detected and 24 of them neutralized, while Kuwait claims to have intercepted some 384 drones, and Kuwait speaks of 123 additional examples.
Compared to the figures coming from Ukraine, this is a tiny fraction of the total that Russia would have deployed since the start of its invasion, underscoring the experience Kyiv has gained in combating this type of system. Put in concrete terms, the European country has stated that more than 54,000 Shahed-family drones were used during 2025, with roughly 19,000 of them launched during the winter mainly to put the country’s energy infrastructure under pressure.
Finally, it should be considered that beyond Ukraine and the United States, the European Union itself has also acknowledged the extensive experience Kyiv has gained in this field, with an eye to how it could contribute to building a defense network of its own capable of withstanding drone attacks and assisting the bloc’s allies in the Middle East. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, noted that this would be one of the topics of discussion at the meeting to be held between EU and Gulf foreign ministers.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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