Ukraine deploys anti-drone military units to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan

Ukraine has deployed military anti-drone units to five Middle Eastern countries to counter Iranian drone and missile attacks on critical infrastructure, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) secretary Rustem Umerov announced after a week-long visit to the region. Umerov visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan. He announced that 'Ukrainian military specialists are operating in each of these countries under the coordination of the National Security and Defense Council,' and that 'interception units have been deployed to protect civilian and critical infrastructure. Work is also underway to expand coverage areas.' Ukraine's involvement represents a significant development: Kyiv has developed world-leading expertise in defending against large waves of cheap kamikaze drones — the same type Iran is deploying against Gulf energy infrastructure — from years of countering Russian Shahed-136 attacks. Ukraine has shared this expertise with 'nearly a dozen countries across the world,' Kyiv says. Now Ukrainian soldiers are physically deployed in the Gulf operating anti-drone interception units. This makes Ukraine an active military participant in the Gulf's defense against Iran — a geopolitically notable development given Ukraine's complex relationship with Russia (which has ties to Iran) and the US (which is conducting strikes on Iran). It also signals that Gulf states regard Ukrainian expertise as operationally valuable alongside US air defense systems already deployed in the region.