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Ukraine Sends 201 Drone Experts to Middle East to Combat Shahed Threats, Zelenskyy Confirms
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Ukraine has deployed 201 experts in countering Iranian-made Shahed drones to the Middle East.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared this information on March 17, noting that these specialists are already active in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, while others are currently traveling to Kuwait.
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The President described these individuals as military experts who understand how to defend against these specific unmanned aerial vehicles and provide necessary assistance.
During his address, Zelenskyy emphasized that the global community must adapt to the changing nature of warfare and weaponry driven by drones and artificial intelligence.
“World entered an absolutely new time. Time of drones, time of artificial intelligence. This means evolution of weapons, evolution of war and evolution of crime. No one can predict where this evolution will lead, but we must keep pace with it. And even more–we must be ahead of it,” he stated.
The Ukrainian leader expressed that the country is prepared to offer drone-related agreements to all reliable partners. He explained that Ukraine possesses a strength and capability that has been tested throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and suggested it would be unwise for other nations to exclude such experience from their own security frameworks.
Zelenskyy noted, “I don’t think anyone wants to leave the war-tested strength and capability of Ukraine outside of their security. And if anyone does, it will be unwise.”
More than 10 countries have already contacted Ukraine seeking support in establishing defenses against Shahed drones.
He noted that Kyiv had received multiple requests from countries like Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia seeking expertise to protect territory and US bases from Shahed drone attacks.
These developments highlight a growing international interest in the tactical lessons learned on the Ukrainian battlefield regarding unmanned systems and technological security.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine considered sending anti-drone defense experts to assist partners in the Middle East amid the ongoing war involving Iran.
Zelenskyy also revealed that Ukraine had proposed a joint drone production agreement with the United States in the summer of 2025, which included the development of electronic warfare systems and AI-enabled drones.
He explained that these systems would have been the joint property of both nations, utilizing the battlefield experience Ukrainian engineers gained during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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