Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has received a request from the United States for support in defending against Iranian Shahed attack drones in the Middle East. Iran has been using these drones to attack Persian Gulf countries since the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28.
The president announced this on the social network X.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will help the US protect itself from these drones.
“I instructed to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the necessary security. Ukraine helps partners who help our security and protect the lives of our people,” the president wrote.
Earlier, the President of Ukraine reported that Ukraine is considering the possibility of providing expertise on the shooting down of Shahed-type strike drones to Middle Eastern countries. The President also reported that dialogue with partners on this issue is already underway.
“We want to obtain scarce missiles for Patriot systems and transfer the appropriate number of interceptors. We clearly understand how many we need and how many we can quickly produce, subject to dialogue with partners,” said President Zelensky.
Ukraine, together with teams from the UAE, Qatar, and other states, will determine how to jointly strengthen the protection of human lives in the Middle East.
Israeli and US military operation against Iran
On February 28, Israel attacked the Iranian capital Tehran. US President Donald Trump later said that the US military had launched a “major combat operation” against Iran to “eliminate imminent threats from the Iranian regime”. He accused the Iranian government of “funding and training” militants in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Hamas in Palestine. According to him, the aim of the military operation is to “destroy Iran's missile industry and navy” and “ensure that the world cannot be destabilised”.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched missiles and drones towards Israel, and also attacked US military bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Amid the US military operation against Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris is calling for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.
The European Union said it reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment to ensuring regional security and stability” in the Middle East.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was fair to give the Iranians a chance to get rid of “the terrorist regime and guarantee the security of all peoples who have suffered from attacks from Iran.”
On February 28, Trump tweeted that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was dead. The information was later confirmed by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
On March 1, the IRGC announced that it was launching “the most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic” against Israel and “American terrorist bases.” Trump called on the Iranian regime to abandon these plans and threatened to strike “a very strong blow” in response.
On March 2, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the next phase of the US military operation against Iran would be even more destructive.