Ukrainian Soldiers to Deploy to Middle East March 9

Ukrainian military personnel will depart for the Middle East on March 9 to train regional partners on how to counter Iranian kamikaze drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this, as quoted by Suspilne.

“I believe that next week, when the experts arrive on site, they will assess the situation and provide assistance, because they are going there already equipped with the capabilities to help,” the head of state said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that there are many different air defense systems in the Middle East, including the American MIM-104 Patriot, but that proved insufficient during modern attacks.

“Ukraine has the expertise and the experience. In fact, all countries recognize that this is the most extensive experience today. We also have the necessary production capabilities, and we must share this experience with our close friends and partners in Europe,” the President said.

On March 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had already confirmed the deployment of Ukrainian specialists to the Middle East. This was preceded by consultations with partners in Europe and the United States, as well as with countries neighboring Iran.

Previously, on March 2, it became known that the United Kingdom planned to involve both British and Ukrainian specialists to assist partners in the Middle East.

Ukrainian military personnel gained a unique practical experience in countering Iranian kamikaze drones during the full-scale war. In London, officials expect that this combat experience will significantly ameliorate the efforts to counter aerial threats for partner countries.

Later, the President of Ukraine said in his evening address that Ukraine is ready to share its experience in the field of air defense.

For now, the details of the format of this assistance remain unknown. It is possible that it could involve the deployment of mobile air defense groups using interceptor drones or the dispatch of instructors to train local crews and establish anti drone attacks systems.

It is also known that countries of the Persian Gulf have shown interest in Ukrainian interceptor drones and have requested the purchase from the Ukrainian company TAF Industries.

The company’s founder, Oleksandr Yakovenko, said that the United Arab Emirates requested 5,000 drones, Qatar requested 2,000, while Kuwait has also expressed interest in acquiring such systems.