Ukrainian forces shot down Iranian drones in Middle East countries – Zelensky

Ukrainian military personnel have shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president described the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky made his first public acknowledgement of the operations on Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday.

He said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.

“This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defence system that can actually work,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Ukraine took part in the defensive operations before the tentative ceasefire in the Middle East was reached by Iran, the US and Israel this week.

Mr Zelensky did not identify the countries involved but said Ukrainian personnel operated across several nations, helping strengthen their air defence systems. He previously said 228 Ukrainian experts were deployed in the region.

In exchange, Ukraine is receiving weapons to protect its energy infrastructure, along with oil, diesel and, in some cases, financial arrangements, he said.

He added that the agreements would bolster Ukraine’s energy stability and described the partnerships as something that would “be marketed” as Kyiv seeks to formalise and expand its defence export role.

“We are helping strengthen their security in exchange for contributions to our country’s resilience,” he said. “This is far more than simply receiving money.”

The disclosure comes amid concerns that conflict in the Middle East could divert western military support from Ukraine, particularly air defence supplies.

But Mr Zelensky said that partners were continuing to supply missiles for Patriot systems, adding that a new batch had arrived in recent days and Ukraine was working with all partners to ensure its air defences remained in place.

He also said he had urged US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv, noting the offer came before the ceasefire in the Middle East.

“I told them, ‘Come to us, and then go to Moscow. Let’s hold a trilateral meeting in this format’,” he said. “They were receptive to this, but as we can see, they decided they cannot be far from their president right now.”

He said it remained unclear whether the envoys would still visit Kyiv or whether talks would take place in a third country. On the substance of discussions, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine is preparing proposals on security guarantees to present to the US and expressed hope that diplomacy would move forward.

The US-led talks have made no progress on key issues in Ukraine, and Washington’s attention has switched to the Middle East conflict while the Russian and Ukrainian armies remain locked in battle on the 800-mile front line.

Separately, Mr Zelensky said he expects western allies to restore full sanctions on Russian oil, warning that any easing could allow Moscow to sustain its war effort and offload key energy assets.

Moscow has been profiting from a surge in global energy prices, brought on by damage to oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf and Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route for global oil supplies.

Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian energy sites to cut oil revenues as prices rose and US sanctions eased. Mr Zelensky said partners had urged Kyiv to scale back attacks during Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, but he argued Russian oil has a limited impact on global markets.

“I won’t say who asked us to do this. But partners did ask — it’s a fact. They asked at different levels, from political to military leadership.”

Mr Zelenskyy also said Ukraine is ready to mirror any ceasefire steps after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter truce.

“We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holidays this year and will act accordingly”, Mr Zelenskyy wrote on X. “People need an Easter free from threats and real movement toward peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to strikes after Easter as well”.

Mr Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

Previous ceasefire attempts have had little impact, with both sides accusing each other of violations.