Ukraine units downed Iran drones in ‘several’ Mideast states: Zelensky

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukrainian military experts downed Iranian drones in several Middle East countries.

Kyiv dispatched dozens of anti-drone personnel to at least four countries in the Middle East after US and Israeli strikes on Iran sparked a wave of retaliatory drone attacks.

“We demonstrated to some countries how to work with interceptors. Did we destroy them? Yes, we did. Did we do it in just one country? No, in several,” Zelensky told journalists, including AFP reporters, in comments released under embargo on Friday.

“This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defence system that can actually work. Yes, they were shooting down Shaheds,” he said, referring to the Iranian drones.

Zelensky had said earlier this week that the Ukrainian drone units would remain in the region even after the United States and Iran agreed a two-week ceasefire.

“In return for our support and expertise, we will receive various things. In some cases, it involves interceptors to protect our energy infrastructure; in others, there are financial arrangements,” he said, adding Ukraine could also receive oil supplies.