Specialists From Ukraine Shot Down Several Shahed In The Middle East
- 21.03.2026, 20:18
Ukrainians are helping one of the Persian Gulf countries.
Ukrainian specialists have successfully shot down several Iranian drones in one of the Persian Gulf countries. This was reported by BBC News Ukraine on March 21.
On March 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported 11 requests from Iran's neighboring countries, European states and the United States for Ukraine's support in countering Iranian drones. Ukraine has sent several groups of military operators with interceptors, totaling about 230 people, to help, the media reported.
The BBC reported that Ukrainian specialists have already carried out several successful shootdowns of Iranian drones in one of the countries in the region. However, they did not name which one.
At the same time, according to the media, direct sales and, consequently, the purchase of Ukrainian-made drones are blocked at the state level.
The manufacturers told the BBC that they have received dozens of commercial offers from the Persian Gulf and Middle East countries, as well as intermediaries. At the same time, they are ready to buy them at a higher price than on the Ukrainian market.
Part of the producers refused further negotiations, citing a letter from the Ukrainian Security Service, which was sent to the companies in early March. According to the media outlet, it referred to a ban on exporting weapons to the Middle East and possible criminal liability for doing so.
The remaining manufacturers have already entered the official procedure for obtaining export authorization.
According to the BBC, at least two manufacturers of interceptor drones have already submitted relevant applications to the interagency commission on military-technical cooperation and export control policy. They must first be considered by the commission and then approved by the State Service for Export Control (SSEC).
Another representative of a UAV manufacturer believes that the authorities are deliberately blocking the possibility of selling Ukrainian interceptors abroad. According to him, the delay in opening exports may lead to loss of interest of potential buyers.
As an example, he cited the fact that the U.S. has already sent to the Middle East 10 thousand interceptors Merops of its own production. They have been tested on the battlefield in Ukraine, but they are more expensive than their Ukrainian counterparts.