In fighting Russia over the last three years, Ukraine seems to have mastered the art of augmenting its low-cost drone warfare capabilities.
Having transitioned from a primary focus on developing strike and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the initial days of the war, it has now evolved into a global leader in interceptor drones designed to destroy enemy drones in mid-air.
So much so that it is now being solicited by many countries in the Middle East, particularly those affected by Iranian-manufactured Shahed drones in the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Assistance needed is how Ukraine can help counter waves of drones that have targeted military and civilian infrastructure across the region.
If Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to be believed, 11 (eleven) countries – the United States, some European nations, and three Gulf monarchies of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Qatar- have sought Ukraine’s assistance in shooting down the Shahed drones.
Besides, while addressing the British parliament on March 17, Zelensky is reported to have disclosed that as many as 201 Ukrainian anti-drone experts are already in the Gulf region and wider Middle East, and another 34 “are ready to deploy”, helping governments in their defense against Iran’s drone attacks. “Our teams are already in the Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and on the way to Kuwait,” the Ukrainian leader said.
He then added, “These are military experts, experts who know how to help, how to defend against Shahed drones,” referring to the Iranian-designed “kamikaze” drones that Russia has been using in its war against Ukraine since 2022.
Incidentally, Zelensky claims that even the U.S. has requested support in protecting against Shahed drones in the Middle East. “I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on social media on March 5.
He later told the New York Times that Kyiv had deployed interceptor drones and a team of drone specialists to help protect U.S. military bases in Jordan.
However, President Trump is reported to have denied Zelensky’s claim. “We don’t need their help in drone defense,” Trump told Fox News in an interview. “We know more about drones than anybody. We have the best drones in the world, actually.”
It is difficult to say who is speaking the truth. But if The New York Times’ Kyiv bureau chief Andrew E. Kramer is to be believed, Trump had in fact asked Ukraine last year to share drone technology with the US military and defense industry.
According to Israeli media outlet Ynet on March 14, even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a conversation with the Ukrainian President to discuss cooperation in intercepting Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles. Zelenky is reported to have said that he is prepared for a dialogue with Netanyahu on drone interceptors and Kyiv’s expertise in countering Tehran’s drones.
Incidentally, in the initial days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky had sought cooperation with Israel in the field of air and missile defense. However, at that time, Israel declined to provide weapons to Ukraine.
The rationale behind that decision was, as Netanyahu had told The Wall Street Journal, that “Israel was concerned that weapons transferred to Ukraine could be captured and potentially passed to Iran, including technology related to the Iron Dome air defense system developed jointly with the United States.”
The key advantage of the Ukrainian interceptors seems to be their cost. For instance, the known anti-air defense systems that the US and its allies use to intercept Iranian drones and missiles targeting their assets in the region include the Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries.
The Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) and PAC-3 are advanced surface-to-air missile defence systems. However, these systems are extremely expensive, costing millions of dollars for each interceptor missile fired.
Quoting Elaine McCusker, a top Pentagon budget official under the first Trump administration, a Wall Street Journal report says that the Pentagon is likely to have fired about $5.7 billion worth of interceptors to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles and drones in the first four days of the war.
Gulf states appear to lack the means to affordably shoot down a lot of low-flying Iranian drones, it is said. Some reports say that Saudi Arabia has already used multimillion-dollar Patriot missiles and air-to-air missiles fired from jet fighters or helicopters to destroy drones.
It is said that a single interceptor missile for a US-made Patriot air defense system can cost around $4 million, and that difficult-to-replace stockpiles can be quickly exhausted. These weapons aren’t ideal against Iranian Shaheds, generally estimated to cost around $20,000 to $50,000 apiece.
As Zelensky told his British audience recently, “Thousands of Patriot missiles cannot stop tens of thousands of Iranian Shaheds,” adding that one such (Iranian) drone is “forty times cheaper than a single Patriot missile,” let alone the whole system.
And it is against this background that he is saying that the Ukrainian interceptors are the answer, just $1,000 to $2,000 to counter the Iranian Shaheds.
Apparently, most of the Ukrainian interceptors resemble toy rockets, made of 3D-printed plastic parts for rapid, low-cost mass production. They often stand only about three feet tall and can fit in a standard duffel bag. Most are small enough to be launched by hand or from a compact box.
By using off-the-shelf electric motors, propellers, and modular airframes, they maintain a low visual profile that belies their advanced capabilities. These can zoom at speeds close to 320 kilometers per hour and hit targets up to 15,000 feet.
Well-known Ukrainian interceptors are:
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The Sting (Wild Hornets): A high-speed quadcopter reaching up to 343 km/h. It uses thermal cameras and AI-assisted “machine vision” to track and ram Shaheds mid-air.
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P1-Sun (SkyFall): A 3D-printed interceptor that has reportedly downed over 1,000 targets. It can fly at speeds over 450 km/h to intercept newer jet-powered drones.
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Bullet (General Cherry): A jet-engine-powered interceptor capable of cruising at 5,500 metres.
However, and this is important to note, Zelensky is not simply interested in selling interceptors. He wants specific deals with countries that need his country’s help, and each such deal must acknowledge Ukraine as both a contributor and a recipient of security aid.
“Honestly, for us today, both the technology and the funding (from our partners) are important,” Zelenskyy said in a recent press interview. He also indicated that partners would need more than just interceptors to field a robust defense. “Without a system, any interceptor is just a toy — not a real defender,” he said, adding that “Ukraine knows how to build radar coverage to detect drones and software for the radars to keep working under electronic warfare interference”.
As it is, Ukraine needs interceptors for itself in fighting the Russians. So any export is possible after meeting its own defense needs, for which the Ukrainian industry’s hands are already full. “We can produce more — it depends on investment,” the Ukrainian President reportedly has said.
Ihor Fedirko, the CEO of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry (UCDI), a body that represents more than 100 companies, told Business Insider on March 18 that the war in the Middle East has triggered a wave of requests for Ukrainian tech and expertise.
According to him, with proper investment, Ukraine should be able to produce 2.5 times as many interceptors as the Middle Eastern countries can afford to buy, and that gap could double in a few months. Exports would generate cash to fund more production for Ukraine’s own military, he points out.
Incidentally, during Zelensky’s visit to the United Kingdom, London and Kyiv signed a deal on a “defense partnership”, which is said to combine “Ukraine’s expertise and the UK’s industrial base to manufacture and supply drones and innovative capabilities”.
Perhaps the Ukrainian President wants this agreement to serve as a model for potential deals with countries interested in his drones.
- Author and veteran journalist Prakash Nanda is Chairman of the Editorial Board of the EurAsian Times and has been commenting on politics, foreign policy, and strategic affairs for nearly three decades. He is a former National Fellow of the Indian Council for Historical Research and a recipient of the Seoul Peace Prize Scholarship.
- CONTACT: prakash.nanda (at) hotmail.com
