- Category
- Business
Ukrainian Drone Firm Asked to Protect Ships in Strait of Hormuz in First-Ever Private Security Mission
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A Ukrainian defense technology company has received a request from a foreign shipowner to provide protection for a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz, marking a first such case for a private Ukrainian firm in maritime security operations in the Middle East.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
According to BBC News Ukraine on April 29, the request was submitted to TAF Industries, a Ukrainian manufacturer of drones and electronic warfare systems.
The company was asked to deploy specialists equipped with counter-drone technologies to accompany a vessel through the strategically critical waterway.
“We received a request from one of the shipowners to ensure the safe passage of their vessel through the Strait of Hormuz. This is about providing a military consulting service, not exporting drones,” said TAF Industries co-founder Oleksandr Yakovenko, as quoted by BBC News Ukraine.
The proposed arrangement involves several Ukrainian specialists being stationed onboard the vessel during its transit. They would use their own defensive tools, including interceptor drones, to counter potential threats such as Iranian-made Shahed-type attack drones. The service would be considered complete once the vessel safely exits the strait.
The outlet notes that this is the first known request of its kind directed at a private Ukrainian company in the context of maritime security in the Middle East. The request remains preliminary, and TAF Industries has yet to submit the required documentation to Ukrainian authorities for approval.
To proceed, the company must obtain export authorization from Ukraine’s State Service of Export Control and the interagency commission overseeing military-technical cooperation. As of late April, no permits had been issued for the export of finished military products, and applications had not yet been reviewed by the commission.
At the same time, Ukrainian authorities have approved several licenses for the export of “military technologies” and “military services.” TAF Industries is among the companies that have already received such permissions and operates facilities in Europe, including for the production of interceptor drones.
TAF Industries produces FPV drones, electronic warfare systems, and interceptor platforms such as the Kolibri and Octopus. The company is also developing additional unmanned strike systems.
The development comes amid broader efforts by Ukraine to expand defense cooperation with partners in the Middle East. On April 28, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that decisions had been made to simplify the transfer of Ukrainian weapons and expertise abroad within the framework of international agreements.
Discuss this article:
-9a7b3a98ed5c506e0b77a6663f5727c5.png)
-e704648019363ef9514cdd89b9bacc91.jpg "David Kirichenko")
-29a1a43aba23f9bb779a1ac8b98d2121.jpeg "Photo of Illia Kabachynskyi")
-5fd29ada6cceba1537fd414500eb4165.jpg "Russia Drains Economy to Fund War")
