KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine is awaiting White House approval for a major drone production deal proposed by Kyiv last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, as the countries scramble to modernize their air defenses after the Iran war exposed flaws.
Zelensky said in a message on social media that the proposed US-Ukraine deal would include various types of drones and air defenses capable of defending against hundreds or thousands of Iranian-designed Shahed drones and missile clusters.
“We have not yet had an opportunity to sign this document,” he said.
Russia has flown tens of thousands of Iranian-designed drones over Ukraine since invading its neighbor just four years ago. It launched a swarm of more than 800 drones and decoys in its biggest night barrage. Iran has responded to joint US-Israeli strikes by flying similar drones at targets in the Middle East.
Ukraine has pioneered the development of cut-price drone killers, some of which cost a few thousand dollars, that have rewritten the air defense rulebook.
Zelensky said the unfolding conflict in the Middle East is prompting US officials to sign off on the drone production proposal.
Ukraine is keen to lock in future foreign support for its ongoing effort to deter Russian aggression, and the drone production deals could bring Kyiv some diplomatic leverage in negotiations with Moscow.
US-brokered talks to end Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II have been stalled by the Iran war.
Zelensky arrived in NATO member Romania on Thursday, a day before meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where new research points to Russian oil revenues helping to fuel Ukraine’s aggression since the Iran war began.
Russia’s daily gains from oil sales during the Middle East conflict have brought a sharp increase in crude prices, which averaged 14% higher than in February, according to the nonprofit Center for Energy and Clean Air. Oil revenue is critical to Moscow’s war effort.
Macron’s office said his talks with the Ukrainian leader would focus on efforts to combat the so-called shadow fleet of Russian tankers that are carrying oil in violation of international sanctions but are difficult to stop.
Zelenskiy was scheduled to meet Romanian President Nikusr Don, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan in Bucharest and visit Ukraine’s F-16 pilot training center.
Ukraine exported significant amounts of grain through Romania during the war, and Bucharest provided energy support to Kyiv when Moscow’s forces blew up Ukraine’s power grid.
___
Associated Press writer Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this story.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
(tags to be translated)Military Technology(T)Drone Surveillance & Warfare(T)War & Unrest(T)Iran War(T)Islam(T)Military & Defense(T)General News(T)Aerospace & Defense Industry(T)Drones(T)Business(T)Urashtan News(T)Article(T)130993358
