Regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred and in weapons: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

• Zelenskyy calls Russia and Iran "brothers in hatred and weapons"
• Ukraine shares drone defense expertise with Middle East partners
• Ukraine can produce 2,000 interceptor drones daily for allies

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Amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East arising from the US-Israel war with Iran, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred, and hence, they are brothers in weapons.

Zelenskyy made this statement in London, where he met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to sign a new defence pact as the unfolding US-Israeli war on Iran threatened to divert international attention away from Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.

According to a report in Reuters, Starmer reassured the Ukrainian leader that “the focus must remain on Ukraine”, days after the US partially rolled back sanctions against Russia to cool oil prices sent soaring by its attacks on Iran.

Addressing a gathering after signing the defence agreement, Zelenskyy spoke about how Ukraine can contribute to the Israel-Iran war by sharing its knowledge on how to defend  “shahed” drones.

"Right now, there are 201 Ukrainians in the Middle East and the Gulf region...military experts, who know how to defend against “shahed” drones. Our teams are already in the Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and on the way to Kuwait...I sent these military experts at the request of our partners – including the US. We do not want this terror of the Iranian regime against its neighbors to succeed," said Zelenskyy.

Stating that Iran began producing shahed drones years ago and its weapons have evolved faster than defenses in many other countries in the Middle East, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had to learn how to defend against them.

"About three years ago, Russia received shaheds from the Iranian regime...Iran taught Russia how to launch them and gave it the technology to produce them. Russia then upgraded them. And now we have clear evidence that Iranian shaheds used in the region contain Russian components. Today, just a few “shaheds” can disrupt oil shipments at a scale that affects entire regions, or destroy desalination plants and hit millions of people in the most painful way," said the Ukrainian leader.

"What is happening around Iran today is not a faraway war for us – because of the cooperation between Russia and Iran...The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred – and that is why they are brothers in weapons. And we want regimes built on hatred to never win – in anything. And we want no such regime to threaten Europe or our partners," said Zelenskyy adding that the Middle East has not had a single year of real peace while this regime has been in Iran.

Comparing the cost-effectivity of Iranian shahed with missiles, the Ukrainian President said,  "One Iranian shahed costs about 50,000 dollars. To shoot it down, partners often use missiles – some costing up to 4 million dollars – or combat aircraft, which is also very expensive. Iranians knew that no air defense in the world would be enough to stop such drones...In Ukraine, we stop one such drone with two or three small interceptors, costing less than 10,000 dollars in total. So our approach is far more cost-effective than anything our partners use today."

Admitting how “shaheds” have evolved "from something like weapons of the blitz to drones that are faster, more deadly, and already using AI", Zelenskyy said Ukraine is the best place today to produce drones and develop the technology for it

"Our newest element is interceptor drones. Right now, 90% of Russian losses on the front are caused by our drones... If, together with partners in the Middle East, we build a system like Ukraine’s, they will be able to track attacks from Iran or the Houthis in real time, analyze them, keep improving their defense – giving people, critical infrastructure, and trade routes real security," he said.

Zelenskyy also highlighted Ukraine's defence capabilities. "We are capable of producing at least 2,000 effective and combat-proven interceptors every day. We need about 1,000 interceptors a day, and we can supply at least another 1,000 a day to our allies. We know how to build radar and acoustic coverage to respond to how “shaheds” and other drones approach," he said.

"We have the software that allows radars to keep working even under electronic warfare jamming. In real time, we analyze enemy frequencies and respond to them. If Iran launched a large-scale attack – similar to Russian attacks – we would guarantee protection. This is the kind of reinforcement we offer," said the Ukrainian leader.

"On today’s battlefield – on land, in the air, at sea – success depends on speed and on smart, system-based solutions. And this is our answer to Russia. We do not say Russia cannot innovate – it can. But it does so to kill. To kill, to maim, to destroy – this is what it does best and so do the ayatollahs," said Zelenskyy.