Ukrainian interceptors reportedly down Iranian drones in the Middle East region

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Ukrainian technology was used to shoot down Iranian drones in the Middle East. This follows an announcement last month that 228 Ukrainian experts had been deployed to the region amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian forces participated in operations using domestically produced interceptor drones against “Shahed” drones, similar to those used by Russia during its ongoing war on Ukraine. The president stated that Ukrainian experts provided advice to several countries on how to strengthen their air defence systems.

Zelenskyy also mentioned that personnel had been operating in multiple countries to support their air defences. He did not specify which countries were aided, but noted that the deployment was part of a broader effort to build modern air defence systems.

The Ukrainian leader stated that the operation was not a training mission or exercise, but rather a form of support for building effective air defence systems. In exchange for Ukraine’s support, Zelenskyy said that Kyiv received weapons to protect its energy infrastructure and financial arrangements in some cases.

Zelenskyy visited several Gulf nations last month, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, where he signed defence agreements with the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The president also noted that new air defence systems, including Patriot systems, had arrived in Ukraine recently.

Source: Al Jazeera