Kyiv, which has constructed experience on the right way to counter drones, seals pact amid Iran struggle.
Revealed On 27 Mar 2026
Ukraine says it has signed a defence settlement with Saudi Arabia as Gulf international locations proceed to return beneath Iranian assault amid the USA and Israel’s struggle on Iran.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived within the kingdom on Thursday, mentioned on X that an “necessary association” had been made forward of a gathering with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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“It lays the muse for future contracts, technological cooperation, and funding … Saudi Arabia additionally has capabilities which are of curiosity to Ukraine, and this cooperation could be mutually useful,” Zelenskyy posted on Friday.
Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the defence pact.
Riyadh has intercepted lots of of drones and dozens of missiles from Iran because the US and Israel first struck Tehran on February 28. Not less than six missiles had been intercepted on Friday, the Saudi defence ministry mentioned.
Kyiv, which has lengthy battled Russian drones, was fast to sign willingness to companion with Gulf international locations after Iran started launching assaults on Gulf nations. Tehran insists it’s focusing on US property within the area, however the assaults have upset relations as Gulf nations say civilians are being put in danger. Up to now, 25 folks have died in Gulf international locations, two as just lately as Thursday within the United Arab Emirates.
Ukraine has turn into a major producer of low-cost however environment friendly interceptor drones to counter Moscow’s waves of drone assaults which have intensified since late 2024.
“This winter alone, Russia launched over 19,000 drones into Ukraine, simply to present some perspective on how a lot expertise they do have in capturing down drones,” mentioned Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine, reporting from Kyiv.
“We spoke to the air pressure, for instance, which mentioned that an rising variety of objects being shut down are shut down with interceptor drones. So there’s a rising expertise from Ukraine, which might be one of many world leaders on the subject of drones, and that’s as a result of they’ve been in a position to react and reply in actual time to troubleshoot this know-how,” she mentioned.
On March 18, Zelenskyy mentioned 201 anti-drone consultants had been deployed to the Center East to help within the defence in opposition to Iranian assaults.
Yurii Cherevashenko, deputy commander of Ukraine’s Air Defence Cowl Forces, instructed Al Jazeera the drones face distinctive challenges within the Center East, reminiscent of sandstorms. However profitable interception in the end boils all the way down to the pilot’s expertise, he mentioned.
In certainly one of Russia’s largest wartime aerial attacks on Ukraine, it launched 948 drones inside 24 hours on Tuesday, killing two folks.
