Zelenskyy Offers Ukrainian Specialists To Help Gulf Countries Against Iranian Drones

Last Updated:March 05, 2026, 11:01 IST

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is sending military specialists to the Middle East to counter Iranian drones and missiles, consulting with UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday announced that his country is sending some of its military specialists to the Middle East to help counter Iranian drones and missiles.

In a post to the social platform X, Zelenskyy said he has tasked Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs, minister of defense, intelligence agencies and the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine “to present options for assisting the relevant countries and to provide aid in a way that does not weaken our own defense" in Ukraine.

“In just a few days, Iran has launched over 800 missiles of various types and more than 1,400 attack drones. It is Iranian drones and missiles that pose the main threat to free navigation, destabilizing global prices for oil, petroleum products, and gas," he wrote.

He noted he is consulting with partners in Europe and the United States and that he spoke with the leaders of several countries neighboring Iran, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain. Talks with Kuwait and other countries in the region are also planned.

“All of them face a serious challenge and speak openly about it: Iranian attack drones are the same ‘shaheds’ that have been striking our cities, villages, and our Ukrainian infrastructure throughout this war," he added.

Zelenskyy earlier also offered assistance to Gulf nations facing Iranian drone and missile threats – but linked the proposal to a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine.

He said Gulf leaders share strong economic ties and relations with Russia and could help persuade Moscow to agree to a pause in hostilities. He added that if Gulf leaders signal to Russia to implement a ceasefire, Ukraine could send specialists to help protect civilian populations in the region.

“If they give Russia a signal to cease fire, for example, for a certain period of time, (0:14) a month, two months, we can then send our specialists to protect the civilian population.The peace talks should take place between the 5th and the 8th or 9th of this month.," he said as quoted by news agency Reuters.

Iran’s delta-winged Shahed 136 drones have long been used by Russian forces in the war in Ukraine. The relatively inexpensive weapons, which cost about $50,000 to produce, are now emerging as a concern in the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran.

The drones have struck regional allies of Washington, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, as Tehran seeks to target Gulf countries that are friendly with the U.S. or host American troops.

A full-scale war broke out in West Asia on February 28, when the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iranian strategic sites, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and targeting nuclear, military, and leadership facilities amid stalled nuclear talks. The attacks prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region.

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