Ukraine's air defense expertise 'irreplaceable,' Zelensky says as escalating Middle East war draws in Europe
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
The expanding war in the Middle East highlights the importance of Ukraine's expertise in air defense — particularly in shooting down Iranian drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on March 1.
Zelensky's comments came a day after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, killing the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini and several other high-ranking officials. Iran has retaliated, launching missile and drone attacks on Israel and against U.S. military assets in the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.
In a statement released Feb. 28, Zelensky voiced support for the strikes and the overthrow of Iranian leadership, pointing out that Russia — Iran's strategic partner — has used more than 57,000 Shahed-type drones in its attacks against Ukraine since 2022.
Ukraine's experience fending off Iranian-designed weapons can now be used to help its allies, Zelensky said on March 1.
"The situation in the Middle East shows how difficult it is to provide 100% protection against missiles and Shaheds. ... Everyone now sees that our experience in defense is largely irreplaceable."
Zelensky said Kyiv is prepared "to share this experience" with nations that have helped Ukraine survive its worst winter of the full-scale war.
Ukraine is "closely monitoring" developments in the U.S.-Israel-Iran war and coordinating with allies as the situation evolves, the president said.
Ukraine's European partners have been directly impacted by the spreading violence in the aftermath of the bombardment of Iran. Earlier on March 1, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported that a Royal Air Force fighter jet intercepted an Iranian drone over Qatar.
A French military base in Abu Dhabi was also hit by a drone attack. French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin reported that damage to the base was "limited" and said France's military remains on high alert as the conflict unfolds.
The U.K., France, and Germany released a joint statement on March 1 calling on Iran to stop its missile attacks on neighboring countries and threatening possible "defensive action" against Tehran.
"We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran's capability to fire missiles and drones at their source," the statement read.
