Ukraine’s low-cost drones draw US, Gulf interest, but wartime embargo restricts sales

KYIV, Ukraine — As the war in the Middle East depletes the US missile stockpile, Ukraine hopes it can turn a wartime innovation — low-cost interceptors designed to shoot down Russian attack drones — into geopolitical leverage.

Now Ukraine, one of the world’s leading producers of interceptors, is offering that expertise to the United States and its Gulf partners for war in the Middle East, hoping to receive in return high-end weapons it cannot manufacture at home.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion four years ago, Ukraine’s domestic arms industry was poor. Forced to innovate to survive, it has built a fast-growing defense sector focused on low-cost drones — some specially designed to counter Iranian-style Shahed drones, which Russia now launches by the hundreds.

The US recently requested “specific support” against Iran-designed Shaheds in the Middle East, prompting Zelenskyy to order the deployment of Ukrainian equipment and experts, though the details remain classified.

When war broke out in Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv banned arms exports. But now the Ukrainian maker of low-cost interceptor drones says it is getting interest from the United States and Gulf states.

While other countries may build interceptor drones, Ukraine already has the only mass-produced system that has been tested in combat, said Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defense Express. “There’s a big difference between a mass-produced system that’s proven to work in real warfare and what others promise to develop … It’s like selling a house, not just bricks,” he said.

If cooperation with partners succeeds, Ukraine could emerge as a new player in modern warfare, although it is unclear whether its industry can meet that ambition or expand into global markets without compromising its own defense.

The surge in interest comes from the Middle East as Gulf states burn through their stockpiles of expensive Patriot missiles, which they are using to shoot down the significantly cheaper Shaheds from Iran.

An Iranian-designed Shahed drone costs about $30,000, while an interceptor missile for the US-made Patriot air defense system costs millions.

Lockheed Martin said in a statement that it has produced a record 600 PAC-3 MSE interceptors for Patriot batteries in 2025. Zelenskyy claimed on Thursday that Middle Eastern nations had expended more than 800 missiles in just three days — more than Ukraine kept in reserve throughout the four-year war.

To counter the Shaheds, Kyiv developed low-cost interceptor drones priced at around $1,000 to $2,000, moving the systems from prototype to mass production within months in 2025.

But Ukraine never developed a defense against ballistic missiles. That’s why securing Patriot missiles remains a life-or-death challenge for Kyiv.

Against this backdrop, Zelenskyy is pitching a “swap” to partners. “Our message is very simple,” he said. “We would like to quietly … receive the Patriot missiles that we lack and provide them with corresponding deterrents.”

Despite Zelenskyy’s optimism, some analysts warn that entering the global arms market is not as simple as signing a deal.

“The arms trade is an incredibly delicate and delicate subject,” said Yevhen Mahda, executive director of the Kyiv-based Institute of World Policy. It is a market where the US is strong, warning that it would be “naïve” to expect markets to open up because Ukraine has a strong story. “It requires a tough, calculated diplomatic game.”

Ukrainian officials have recently begun actively discussing a transition from a freeze on wartime arms exports to a state-controlled market, although it is unclear when or how such a system would be initiated.

“We need more than presidential statements. We need action,” Mahda said. “How can we talk about exports if we haven’t officially sold anything yet?”

According to three Ukrainian arms manufacturers, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have made repeated requests for Ukraine’s domestically produced interceptor drones from the US and Gulf countries.

Neither the US nor the Gulf countries immediately responded to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

“We are ready to share them and we want to share them,” said Marko Kushnir, a spokesman for Ukrainian arms maker General Chery, which produces the country’s best-performing interceptor drones.

Kushnir said the decision ultimately depends on the government and Zelensky, but the company wants to help partners and may be ready to do so in a few days. They have the capacity to produce “tens of thousands” of interceptors per month, he said.

Ukraine currently has interceptor drones, and manufacturers say they could produce tens of thousands without compromising the country’s defense. The biggest challenge is training the crews and integrating the drones with radar systems that can detect targets at long ranges.

Several Ukrainian organizations have already developed effective systems. General Cherry’s “Bullet” interceptor, developed in late 2025, has shot down several hundred Shahed drones, spokesman Kushnir said. Another model, Skyfall’s 3D-printed P1-Sun, costs about $1,000 and can reach speeds of 300 kilometers (186 miles) per hour, with a production capacity of 50,000 drones per month, according to a company spokesman.

But while the legal framework for hardware remains in limbo, Ukraine’s most valuable asset is human expertise. Zelensky has repeatedly reiterated that his country is ready to send instructors to teach them how to use interceptors.

Supplying the drones won’t be a problem, said Andriy Tagansky, director of the camera business at Add Systems, which supplies cameras for interceptor drones made by another Ukrainian company, Wild Hornets. But training foreign personnel to operate the system and adopt the techniques is essential, he said.

Tagansky said interceptor drones are not a standalone product and must be integrated into a broader system of radars to detect and track incoming targets. Although some models are partially automated, manufacturers say staff still need training to use them effectively.

“This is a tool that requires training,” said Oleh Katkov. “And real, proven expertise – not just on paper – exists only in Ukraine.”

Kyiv’s willingness to send its experts abroad represents a significant strategic sacrifice because of the impact on Ukraine’s own air defense capabilities. With the constant barrage of drones from Russia, every trained soldier is a vital asset.

“We don’t have additional military personnel at the front,” Katkov said. “However, there is a clear understanding that the benefits of such cooperation may outweigh the risks.”

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Kullab reports from Nan, Switzerland.