US and Gulf states in talks to buy Ukrainian interceptor drones - FT
The US and at least one Persian Gulf state are negotiating the purchase of Ukrainian interceptor drones to defend against Iranian Shahed drones. Interest in them has grown due to the high cost of missiles for the MIM-104 Patriot system, which countries in the region actively use to counter attacks.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by the Financial Times, citing a source in the Ukrainian defense sector.
After the US and Israel launched their operation against Iran, the Persian Gulf countries faced the threat of attacks by Iranian Shahed drones, of which Tehran has accumulated tens of thousands.
Currently, Middle Eastern countries want to acquire new defense systems that are cheaper than Patriot missiles, as the Shahed costs $30,000, while the cost of an interceptor missile exceeds $13.5 million.
One Ukrainian official called negotiations with the Pentagon a "sensitive" issue.
"However, it is evident that there is a surge of interest in Ukrainian interceptor drones, which can intercept Shahed at a very low cost," the source told reporters.
An industry representative stated that any sale of Ukrainian systems, even those manufactured outside the country, must be agreed with Kyiv.
The publication recalls that Ukraine was the first to use serial interceptor drones costing several thousand dollars to destroy Russian versions of "Shaheds," which are launched against Ukrainian cities in large numbers.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyн announced that Ukraine was already negotiating with partners to send Ukrainian experts to the Middle East and the Gulf region to help defend against "Shaheds."
