Over more than four years of a full-scale Russian invasion, the Ukrainian military has learned to shoot down most Iranian-designed Shahed drones and is now sharing this experience with allies, in particular the United States and the Gulf countries. Advisor to the President of Ukraine on strategic issues Alexander Kamyshin said this in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on May 22.
The war in the Middle East has made Ukrainian experience in countering UAVs especially in demand: after Iranian attacks on American bases and infrastructure of US partners, Ukraine is now increasingly perceived not only as a “recipient of assistance”, but also as a state capable of strengthening the security of partners.
Kamyshin told reporters that he was surprised by the decision to launch an attack on Iran without having in advance a way to counter the Iranian Shahed. He added that Ukraine “was happy to help” its partners. The publication notes that the Ukrainian military now also has more experience using Patriot in combat conditions than any other army.
WSJ writes that the US military asked for help in countering Iranian drones, after which Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky joked that he “had cards” all the time, but “like a good player decided not to show them.”
In addition to the United States, the Ukrainian experience also interested the countries of the Persian Gulf. Zelensky, the newspaper writes, has visited the region several times in recent months, and Ukraine has sent approximately 200 military personnel to demonstrate drone interception technology and negotiate investment and joint production.
