Photo: SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP / Getty Images
The United States has formally asked Ukraine for help countering Iranian Shahed drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed in a social media post Thursday (March 5) — a move that highlights how the cheap but deadly weapons have become one of the most pressing military challenges in the now six-day U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Zelenskyy said he received the U.S. request and "gave the order for equipment to be provided along with Ukrainian experts," though he did not share further details. "Ukraine helps partners who help our security and the protection of our people's lives," he wrote on Facebook.
Iran's Shahed 136 drones — delta-winged, one-way attack weapons that cost roughly $50,000 to produce — have already struck targets across the Middle East since the conflict began. According to The Hill, Iran has launched more than 800 missiles and over 1,400 attack drones in just the first five days of fighting, targeting U.S. allies including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. A drone attack on Sunday (March 1) killed six U.S. service members in Kuwait.
The drones pose a serious challenge for U.S. air defenses. Their ability to fly low and slow makes them difficult to detect and intercept, and their sheer numbers are causing American forces to burn through expensive, hard-to-replace munitions, Trump administration officials told lawmakers during a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill.
Ukraine has built up deep expertise countering Shaheds, as Russia has fired tens of thousands of them at Ukrainian cities, infrastructure, and military positions since invading the country just over four years ago. Ukrainian manufacturers have developed low-cost interceptor drones — some costing as little as $1,000 — specifically designed to hunt and destroy Shaheds. Zelenskyy announced earlier this year that Ukraine would begin exporting these battle-tested systems.