MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has already deployed its air defense units in Middle Eastern countries to counter drones.

"Consultations are underway with partners to assess the security situation and develop practical solutions for air defense, taking into account Ukraine’s experience. <...> Interception units have been deployed to protect civilian and critical infrastructure. We are also working to expand the coverage areas," he wrote on his Telegram channel after reporting to Vladimir Zelensky on the results of operations in the region. According to him, this involves "the use of Ukrainian technologies to counter air threats, in particular UAV attacks."

Umerov added that over the past week he had visited Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, Kiev has repeatedly raised concerns that its allies’ attention is shifting to another region and that, due to the fighting there, Western partners will cut back on arms supplies to the Ukrainian army. Zelensky attempted to offer allies "assistance from Ukrainian experts" on countering drones in exchange for missiles for Patriot air defense systems. For his part, US President Donald Trump stated that Washington does not need anyone’s help, including that of Ukraine, to defend against Iranian drones during the conflict in the Middle East.