KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As war in the Middle East puts pressure on U.S. missile inventories, Ukraine hopes to turn a wartime innovation — a low-cost interceptor designed to shoot down Russian attack drones — into geopolitical leverage.
Now one of the world’s leading producers of interceptors, Ukraine is lending its Middle East war expertise to the United States and its Gulf partners in hopes of receiving high-end weapons in return that it cannot make at home.
When Russia launched a full-scale invasion four years ago, Ukraine’s domestic arms industry was in poor shape. To survive, it was forced to innovate and has since built a rapidly growing defense sector centered around low-cost drones – some of which are specifically designed to counter the hundreds of Iranian-style Shahd drones that Russia is now launching.
The United States recently requested “concrete support” against Shahd’s designs on Iran in the Middle East, prompting Zelensky to order the deployment of Ukrainian equipment and experts, but details remain confidential.
When the war in Ukraine breaks out in 2022, Kyiv bans arms exports. But now, Ukrainian manufacturers of low-cost interceptor drones say they are receiving interest from the United States and Gulf states.
Defense Express editor-in-chief Ole Katkov said that while other countries can build interceptor drones, Ukraine has the only mass-produced system that has been tested in war. “There’s a huge difference between a mass-produced system that’s proven to work in the field and a system that someone else is just promising to develop… It’s like selling a house, not just bricks,” he said.
If cooperation with partners is successful, Ukraine could become a new player in modern warfare, although it is unclear whether its industry can scale up to realize this ambition or expand into global markets without compromising its own defenses.
patriot question
The surge in interest in the Middle East comes as Gulf states are depleting their stockpiles of expensive Patriot missiles, which they have been using to shoot down much cheaper Shaheed missiles from Iran.
An Iranian-designed Shahd drone sells for about $30,000, while a single interceptor missile from the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system sells for millions of dollars.
Lockheed Martin said in a statement that it produced a record 600 PAC-3 MSE interceptors for the Patriot battery throughout 2025. Zelensky claimed on Thursday that the Middle Eastern country had consumed more than 800 of these missiles in just three days – more missiles than Ukraine stockpiled during the entire four-year war.
To counter the Shahdists, Kiev has developed low-cost interceptor drones costing about $1,000 to $2,000 and will move the system from prototype to series production within a few months of 2025.
But Ukraine has never developed a defense system against ballistic missiles. That’s why securing Patriot missiles remains an existential challenge for Kyiv.
In this context, Zelensky is launching an “exchange” with partners. “Our message is very simple,” he said. “We want to quietly … receive the Patriot missiles that we lack and provide them with a corresponding number of interceptors.”
Obstacles to Ukrainian exports
Despite Zelensky’s optimism, some analysts warn that entering the global arms market is not as simple as signing a contract.
“The arms trade is an extremely delicate and sensitive issue,” said Yevhen Mahda, executive director of the Kyiv Institute for World Policy. He said it was a market in which the United States dominates and warned that it would be “naive” to expect the market to open just because Ukraine has a compelling story. “This requires a tough, carefully planned game of diplomacy.”
Ukrainian officials have only recently begun actively discussing a move from a freeze on wartime arms exports to a state-regulated market, but it is unclear when or how such a system would be launched.
“We need more than presidential statements. We need action,” Mahda said. “How can we talk about exporting if we haven’t officially sold anything?”
The United States and Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have repeatedly asked Ukraine to produce domestically produced interceptor drones, according to three Ukrainian arms producers.
Neither the United States nor Gulf states immediately responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
“We are ready to share them and we want to share them,” said Marco Kushnir, a spokesman for Ukrainian weapons manufacturer General Cherry, which produces one of the country’s best-performing interceptor drones for the fight against Shahrzeid.
Kushnir said the decision ultimately rested with the government and Zelensky, but the company wanted to help partners and could be ready within days. He added that they have the capacity to produce “tens of thousands” of interceptors per month.
Ukraine currently has a surplus of interceptor drones, and manufacturers say they can produce tens of thousands more without compromising the country’s defense. The bigger challenge, they say, is training crews and integrating the drones with radar systems capable of detecting distant targets.
Several Ukrainian companies have already deployed effective systems. Spokesman Kushnir said the “Bullet” interceptor developed by General Cherry in late 2025 has shot down hundreds of Shahd drones. Another model, Skyfall’s 3D-printed P1-Sun, costs about $1,000, can reach speeds of more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) per hour, and has a monthly production capacity of 50,000 drones, a company spokesman said.
Human expertise remains crucial
While the legal framework for the hardware remains up in the air, Ukraine’s most valuable asset is human expertise. Zelensky has repeatedly reiterated that his country is ready to send instructors to teach how to use interceptors.
Supplying drones won’t be a problem, said Andrii Taganskyi, director of camera business at Odd Systems, which supplies cameras for interceptor drones produced by another Ukrainian company, Wild Hornets. But he said it was crucial to train foreign crews to operate the system and adapt tactics.
Tagansky said the interceptor drone is not a stand-alone product and must be integrated into a broader radar system to detect and track incoming targets. While some models are partially automated, manufacturers say staff still need training to use them effectively.
“This is a tool that requires training,” Oleh Katkov said. “Real, proven expertise – not just on paper – exists only in Ukraine.”
Kyiv’s willingness to send experts abroad represents a significant strategic sacrifice, as it would affect Ukraine’s own air defense capabilities. As Russian drone attacks continue, every well-trained soldier is a vital asset.
“We do not have redundant military personnel on the front lines,” Katkov said. “However, there is a clear understanding that the benefits of such cooperation may far outweigh the risks.”
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Kulab reported from Nyon, Switzerland.