Kyiv, which has constructed experience on how one can counter drones, seals pact amid Iran struggle.
Printed On 27 Mar 2026
Ukraine says it has signed a defence settlement with Saudi Arabia as Gulf nations proceed to come back underneath Iranian assault amid the USA and Israel’s struggle on Iran.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived within the kingdom on Thursday, stated on X that an “vital association” had been made forward of a gathering with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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“It lays the inspiration for future contracts, technological cooperation, and funding … Saudi Arabia additionally has capabilities which might be of curiosity to Ukraine, and this cooperation may be mutually useful,” Zelenskyy posted on Friday.
Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the defence pact.
Riyadh has intercepted a whole bunch of drones and dozens of missiles from Iran for the reason that US and Israel first struck Tehran on February 28. At the very least six missiles had been intercepted on Friday, the Saudi defence ministry stated.
Kyiv, which has lengthy battled Russian drones, was fast to sign willingness to accomplice with Gulf nations after Iran started launching assaults on Gulf nations. Tehran insists it’s concentrating on US belongings within the area, however the assaults have upset relations as Gulf nations say civilians are being put in danger. Thus far, 25 folks have died in Gulf nations, two as just lately as Thursday within the United Arab Emirates.
Ukraine has turn out to be 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 provide some perspective on how a lot expertise they do have in capturing down drones,” stated Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine, reporting from Kyiv.
“We spoke to the air pressure, for instance, which stated 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 in the case 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 expertise,” she stated.
On March 18, Zelenskyy stated 201 anti-drone consultants had been deployed to the Center East to help within the defence towards Iranian assaults.
Yurii Cherevashenko, deputy commander of Ukraine’s Air Defence Cowl Forces, informed Al Jazeera the drones face distinctive challenges within the Center East, corresponding to sandstorms. However profitable interception finally boils right down to the pilot’s expertise, he stated.
In considered one of Russia’s largest wartime aerial attacks on Ukraine, it launched 948 drones inside 24 hours on Tuesday, killing two folks.
