The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States has said it is crucial for Ukraine to demonstrate it can provide not just “concern or condolences”, but immediate action following the launch of Operation Epic Fury, reports RTE.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that 11 countries have requested assistance to counter Iranian drones being fired by Tehran in response to US-Israeli strikes, reports RTE.
He added that some Ukrainian drone experts are already on their way to the Middle East and are expected to arrive this week.
Speaking at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington DC last night, Olha Stefanishyna told reporters that Ukraine’s support is intended to help protect cities and save lives, reports RTE.
Ukraine has, what it calls, hard-earned experience, as Russia was an early user of Iranian drones.
“These Shahed drones were developed and shipped to the Russian Federation deliberately to attack and target cities to kill civilians … and this is the same technology which was used after the beginning of the operation in Iran,” Ms Stefanishyna said, reports RTE.
Since the US-Israeli operation began, Iran has launched more than 1,500 drones.
Most have been intercepted by air defences, although six US service members were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait on 1 March, reports RTE.
The US military has also been using costly US-made Patriot interceptor missiles to shoot them down.
Ambassador Stefanishyna is hosting 17 Ukrainian defence technology companies visiting Washington DC this week as part of a defence roadshow, reports RTE.
A representative of Brave 1, a Ukrainian government platform that connects companies with innovations that can help defend Ukraine, said Ukraine’s counter-drone operations are highly cost-effective.
Iryna Zabolotna said that in February Ukraine intercepted more than 15,000 drones.
“That’s why we do understand how to operate with such a huge amount of drones in the air.
“We don’t use missiles, we use interceptors, and they are more like in financial way wise, because it costs approximately $5,000 to $15,000 per each interceptor,” she told RTÉ News, reports RTE.
Pentagon officials reportedly told US politicians last week that waves of Iranian-launched drones are getting through air defences.
Last night, President Donald Trump claimed that Iranian drones are being “blown up all over the place”, including at their manufacturing sites, reports RTE.
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