Countering Iranian drones: Zelenskyy says "About 200 Ukrainian drone-defense experts deployed to Middle East"

According to The Financial News, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, stated that "about 200 Ukrainian military experts in drone defense have been deployed to the war-torn Middle East, and we are ready to send an additional 34."
On the 17th (local time), Agence France-Presse (AFP) and other outlets reported that, in his address to the UK Parliament, Zelenskyy said, "These are military experts who know how to stop Iranian Shahed drones and how to help," adding, "Our teams are in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and they are heading to the State of Kuwait."
Zelenskyy has highlighted that Ukraine has developed defensive technologies such as interceptor drones to counter large-scale Russian drone attacks, including modified Iranian-made Shahed drones. In his speech, he said, "Ukraine can produce 2,000 interceptor drones a day, and after setting aside half for our own needs, we can provide the remaining 1,000 to our allies."
That day, Zelenskyy held talks at 10 Downing Street with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte, and also met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
Starmer stressed, "We must keep our focus on Ukraine," noting, "There is clearly a war under way in the Middle East, but we must not lose our focus on what is happening in Ukraine." Referring to Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, he emphasized, "Putin cannot be allowed to become a beneficiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran war, whether through soaring oil prices or the lifting of sanctions." He had said the previous day as well that "the war in the Middle East must not become a windfall for Putin."
In response, Zelenskyy said, "The UK stood with us through this difficult winter," expressing gratitude for Britain's continued support. During this visit, the two countries signed a new partnership to expand drone production and supply by combining Ukraine's expertise with the UK's industrial base, and to strengthen defense cooperation with third countries.
Earlier, after the outbreak of the war involving the Islamic Republic of Iran, Zelenskyy had proposed helping the United States of America (U.S.) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states with drones, but U.S. President Donald John Trump rejected the offer. Ukraine now finds itself in a difficult position, as the Trump administration, which had been leading peace talks, has shifted its attention to the Middle East, while Russia benefits from higher energy revenues and the side effects of surging oil prices, including eased U.S. sanctions on Russian crude.
whywani@fnnews.com Hong Chae-wan Reporter