The US and Qatar are in discussions with Kyiv about acquiring Ukrainian interceptor drones as a cheap alternative to down Iranian Shahed UAVs amid the war in the Gulf, a source familiar with the matter has told Reuters.
The early-stage talks are taking place between government officials, not companies, and the technology being discussed includes systems to listen out for incoming enemy drones and disrupt their communication signals, the source said.
Qatar’s International Media Office did not respond to a request for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment.
Kyiv had discussed swapping drones for missiles
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday evening the United States had asked Kyiv for help in downing Shaheds.
“I have instructed that the necessary resources be provided and that Ukrainian specialists be present to ensure the necessary security,” he said, without giving further details or mentioning Ukrainian interceptor drones.
Zelenskyy said earlier that Ukraine had also received similar requests from Middle Eastern countries and that he would only go ahead with deals if they did not weaken Ukraine’s own defenses against Russia’s invasion.
He has also said he would be open to exchanging drones for air defense missiles.
A second source – a Western diplomat in the Gulf – said a Ukrainian delegation had traveled to Doha this week to meet with Qatari officials to share Ukraine’s experience in drone defense. A delegation also traveled to Abu Dhabi, the diplomat said.
Tehran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Gulf countries after the US and Israel launched a massive campaign of air strikes at Iran on Saturday and killed much of the Islamic Republic’s senior leadership.
Gulf countries have managed to intercept most of those strikes, making use of the US-made PAC-3 Patriot systems that Ukraine relies on to defend its own energy and military infrastructure from Russian missiles.
Ukraine, however, has developed far cheaper methods of downing the Shahed kamikaze drone during its four-year conflict with Russia, which has been using the Iranian-designed UAVs for much of the war.
Russia has launched 19,000 long-range drones at Ukraine this winter, most of which it has downed, Kyiv said.
After the Iran war erupted, Ukraine’s SBU security service warned Ukrainian companies not to sell weapons to Middle Eastern countries without permission from Kyiv, the first source said.
Zelenskyy said on Wednesday he had spoken with leaders of the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, without providing details.
The US and its Gulf allies have expended hundreds of air defense missiles, costing millions of dollars apiece, since the Iran conflict began.