Ukraine has dispatched drone interceptors and military personnel to Jordan as Middle Eastern countries fend off Iranian strikes on infrastructure and United States military assets during the US-Israel war on Tehran.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that a Ukrainian team departed on Friday for Jordan, which has US military assets at its Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
The move followed a request on Thursday from the US, Zelenskyy said, as Washington seeks cheaper technology for intercepting Iranian missiles targeting Israeli and US defence assets as well as other infrastructure across Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
At the moment, the US is using air defence systems such as Patriot missiles, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries and Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft to intercept Iranian drones and missiles targeting its military assets in the region.
However, these types of systems are expensive, costing millions of dollars for each interceptor missile fired, and there are concerns that supplies of US interceptor missiles could run low.
Iran is deploying its cheap, domestically produced Shahed drones across the Gulf and is believed to have thousands in stock. These are the same drones it has supplied to Russia over the course of Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Kyiv, which has long sought more advanced US defence systems, has developed technology to mass-produce much cheaper interceptor drones to counter drone swarm attacks from Russia.
“Ukrainians have been fighting against ‘shahed’ drones for years now, and everyone recognizes that no other country in the world has this kind of experience. We are ready to help,” Zelenskyy wrote on X on Thursday, adding that Ukraine has asked for advanced US defence systems, such as the Patriot system, in exchange.
In a Monday post on X, Zelenskyy confirmed that 11 countries, including the US, Gulf and European countries, had requested Kyiv’s help and some requests “have already been met with concrete decisions and specific support”.
Here’s what we know about the Ukrainian drones the US and Gulf countries want to deploy:
What do we know about the Ukrainian interceptors being requested?
Ukraine has been building thousands of low-cost interceptor drones to counter Iranian Shahed-type drones over the course of the Russia-Ukraine war.
After failing to receive enough high-end weaponry from its allies, such as US Patriot missile defence systems, Kyiv was forced to innovate in 2025. Now, it has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of the “Shahed Killers”.
The cheap but powerful drones are designed to shoot down Russian attack drones before they reach their targets. They are operated by pilots tracking them on a monitor or wearing first-person-view (FPV) goggles. Each one is priced at about $1,000 to $2,000 – a fraction of the several million dollars it costs to manufacture, transport and fire a high-tech US interceptor.
Ukrainian manufacturers are producing thousands of them per month.
Analysts said the drones can counter a range of attacks but cannot intercept ballistic missiles. So far, they also require trained pilots positioned close to their area of engagement although manufacturers are now developing automated models.
There are several models that have been developed in Ukraine:
- The Sting: This quadcopter is shaped like a bullet and is about the size of a large thermos. It is the fastest of the interceptors, reaching speeds of 315 to 343 kilometres per hour (196 to 213 miles per hour), and can cruise at an altitude of 3,000 metres (10,000ft). It relies on thermal imaging cameras to hit targets, and it returns to base if it cannot locate one. Its domed head carries the camera system and an explosive payload. It is manufactured by Ukraine’s Wild Hornets start-up.
- Bullet: Developed in late 2025 by the Ukrainian weapons manufacturer General Cherry, this high-speed interceptor is driven by a jet engine and four rotors. It can be 3D-printed and uses AI-assisted guidance to locate targets. It can reportedly travel at speeds of 130km/h to 309km/h (81mph to 192mph) and cruise at up to 5,500 metres (3.4 miles).
- P1-Sun: The 3D-printed craft produced by the weapons company Skyfall can fly at up to 300km/h (186mph). It looks similar to the Sting.
- Octopus 100: This interceptor is designed in Ukraine but mass-produced in the United Kingdom. Its technical details are unclear.
- ODIN Win_Hit: Another bullet-shaped drone is built for short-duration, high-intensity missions. It has a maximum speed of 280km/h to 300 km/h (174mph to 186mph) and can fly up to 5,000 metres (3.1 miles) for seven to 10 minutes at a time. It’s developed by the Ukrainian defence company ODIN.