By Ayomide Otitoju
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed a new air defence cooperation agreement during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the kingdom, as both nations confront increasing threats from Iranian-designed drones, officials confirmed on Friday.
The agreement, concluded on Thursday, will see Kyiv support Riyadh in developing critical components of its air defence systems, drawing on Ukraine’s battlefield experience in countering drone attacks. Ukrainian officials said the deal focuses on building an integrated defence framework, combining interceptors, electronic warfare tools, artificial intelligence, and advanced data analysis capabilities.
Ukraine has, over the course of its conflict with Russia, developed cost-effective methods to neutralise aerial threats, including the use of drone interceptors, electronic jamming systems, and anti-aircraft guns to counter Iranian-designed Shahed drones deployed by Moscow.
Kyiv is also seeking to deepen defence cooperation with Gulf nations by proposing an exchange of its relatively low-cost interception technologies for more advanced missile systems currently used in the region. Ukrainian authorities say access to such systems would strengthen their capacity to defend against sustained missile strikes.
President Zelensky confirmed the development, describing it as “an important arrangement” on defence collaboration following talks with Mohammed bin Salman. He noted that both countries stand to benefit from the partnership, with Ukraine offering its operational expertise while Saudi Arabia provides complementary capabilities.
Zelensky added that Ukrainian anti-drone specialists have already been deployed to Saudi Arabia, where they have begun sharing technical knowledge and operational experience. He emphasised that Ukraine’s expertise in countering drone warfare has gained international recognition, particularly as similar threats emerge in other regions.
