World’s largest oil producer Aramco in talks to buy Ukrainian interceptor drones, WSJ reports
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Saudi state oil giant Aramco, the world's largest oil producer, is in talks with at least two Ukrainian companies about purchasing interceptor drones to defend oil infrastructure from Iranian drone attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 12, citing sources.
Aramco has held discussions with Ukrainian manufacturers SkyFall and Wild Hornets, which produce drones that intercept hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by ramming them or detonating neary, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Aramco is trying to obtain the systems as quickly as possible, potentially moving faster than its own government and regional competitors such as Qatar, according to the newspaper.
The company accounts for roughly a tenth of global oil supply.
The talks come as countries in the Middle East face growing attacks from Iranian-made Shahed drones following the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that began on Feb. 28.
Ukraine, which has spent years defending its cities and infrastructure from large-scale Russian attacks using Shahed-type drones, has offered to share its experience in countering cheap long-range UAVs.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 10 that Kyiv has sent experts to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to advise on defenses against Iranian drone strikes.
