Ukraine’s capital has finalised a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, leveraging Kyiv’s growing expertise in counter‑drone strategies as tensions in the Middle East escalate amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Ukraine says it has signed a defence cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia as Gulf countries continue to face attacks linked to the Iran conflict. The pact, announced during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the kingdom, focuses on strengthening air‑defence and counter‑drone collaboration amid rising regional tensions.
Zelenskyy, who arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, wrote on X that an “important arrangement” was reached ahead of his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“It lays the groundwork for future contracts, technological collaboration, and investment … Saudi Arabia also possesses capabilities that interest Ukraine, making this cooperation mutually beneficial,” Zelenskyy posted on X Friday.
Saudi Arabia’s state news agency confirmed that the two countries had signed a memorandum on defence procurement.
Riyadh has intercepted hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles from Iran since the US and Israel first struck Tehran on February 28. The Saudi defence ministry reported that at least six missiles were intercepted on Friday alone.
Kyiv, with extensive experience countering Russian drones, quickly expressed willingness to cooperate with Gulf countries following Iran’s attacks. While Tehran claims its strikes target US assets in the region, the assaults have strained relations, with Gulf nations warning that civilians are at risk. So far, 25 people have died, including two in the United Arab Emirates as recently as Thursday.
Ukraine has emerged as a major producer of cost-effective yet efficient interceptor drones, honed through years of defending against Moscow’s escalating drone attacks since late 2024.
“This winter alone, Russia launched over 19,000 drones into Ukraine, just to give some perspective on how much experience they do have in shooting down drones,” said Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine, reporting from Kyiv.
“We spoke with the air force, for example, and they noted that an increasing number of threats are being neutralized using interceptor drones. Ukraine is gaining significant expertise in this field, likely making it one of the global leaders in drone defense, thanks to its ability to react and respond in real time to troubleshoot the technology,” said Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine.
On March 18, President Zelenskyy announced that 201 Ukrainian anti-drone experts had been deployed to the Middle East to assist in defending against Iranian attacks.
Yurii Cherevashenko, deputy commander of Ukraine’s Air Defence Cover Forces, told Al Jazeera that drones face unique challenges in the Middle East, such as sandstorms, but successful interceptions ultimately depend on the skill of the pilots.
In one of Russia’s largest wartime aerial assaults on Ukraine, Moscow launched 948 drones within 24 hours on a Tuesday, killing two people.
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