“I would like to note that local air defense specialists are at a fairly high level, by the way, but they mostly work with ballistic threats. As for short-range air defense — how to counter massive “Shahed” [Iranian-made kamikaze drones] attacks — I believe no one has,” Zelenskyy said previously.
Earlier, Zelenskyy said he would gladly trade Ukraine’s interceptor drones and expertise for PAC-3 missiles, which Gulf countries possess plenty of. In the first days of the war, they used more than 800 PAC missiles, while Kyiv has only received about 600 since 2022, according to reporting in the New York Times.
Ukraine is set to sign further agreements in the region, according to Zelenskyy.
“They[Middle East and Gulf countries] have strong financial resources and experience in dealing with ballistic threats, but they need our expertise in countering drones. This includes all types of drones, ‘Shahed’ drones which cause serious damage to infrastructure, and FPV-drones which are now used for targeted attacks on military bases and equipment in the region,” Zelenskyy said Thursday in a video address to a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) conference, which discussed combating Russia.
“The first agreements have already been prepared by our teams. Ukraine has the world’s strongest experience in using drones. We offer the Middle East and Gulf countries a partnership that benefits both sides: our knowledge and technology, and their funding. And we are working to make this happen. Our contribution to security in that region will also be a real contribution to global security,” Zelenskyy added.