Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian drone warfare experts will be sent to the Middle East to assist in countering Iranian drone threats, while Kyiv seeks additional U.S.-supplied air defense missiles in return.

Speaking about the initiative, Zelensky said Ukrainian specialists would arrive in the region within the coming week to assess the situation and provide expertise in combating drone attacks. Ukraine has gained extensive operational experience defending against Iranian-made UAVs during its ongoing war with Russia.

Kyiv hopes that sharing this knowledge with the United States and Gulf allies could help secure additional deliveries of **MIM-104 Patriot interceptors, particularly the advanced PAC-3 missiles used to shoot down ballistic missiles and drones.

Ukrainian officials say the country already faces shortages of interceptor missiles supplied by the United States. There are concerns that the widening conflict involving Iran could strain global inventories of air-defense systems, potentially affecting Ukraine’s supply lines.

Ukraine has also indicated interest in providing interceptor drones capable of countering Iranian **Shahed drone attacks. These drones have been widely used in modern conflicts and have become a major focus of Ukraine’s defense strategy.

The proposed cooperation reflects Kyiv’s effort to leverage its battlefield experience in drone warfare to strengthen partnerships and secure critical defensive systems as global military resources become increasingly stretched by multiple conflicts.