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Ukraine is waiting for U.S. approval on a drone production agreement that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv proposed last year, with Zelenskyy linking the proposal to efforts to modernize air defenses after Iran conflict-linked drone use exposed vulnerabilities. “We have not yet had the opportunity to sign this document,” Zelenskyy said in a message posted on social media.
In his remarks, Zelenskyy said the proposed U.S.-Ukraine deal would cover multiple types of drones and air defenses designed to operate as a single system. He said the system would be capable of protecting against swarms that can include hundreds or even thousands of Iranian-designed Shahed drones and missiles.
Zelenskyy also tied the urgency of the negotiations to developments in other conflicts. He said Iran responded to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes by firing the same type of drones at targets in the Middle East, and he suggested that the war in that region could affect whether American officials sign Ukraine’s drone production proposal.
Ukraine’s military needs come amid what its officials describe as sustained drone pressure from Russia. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that Russia has fired more than 57,000 Shahed drones at Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s remarks also referenced Russia’s largest nighttime barrage, in which Russia launched more than 800 drones and decoys.
While discussing the economics of air defense, Zelenskyy said a Patriot air defense missile costs $3 million to $4 million, while a Shahed costs about $130,000 to $150,000. He added that the United States produces about 60 to 65 Patriot missiles per month.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has developed cut-price drone “killers,” some costing a few thousand dollars, and said that approach has rewritten how air defenses are considered. He also said drone production agreements could provide diplomatic leverage for Kyiv as Ukraine seeks continued foreign support while trying to negotiate with Moscow, and he said U.S.-mediated talks have been on hold because of the Iran war.
Zelenskyy was in NATO member Romania, meeting with Romanian President Nicușor Dan in Bucharest. Dan said in a news conference that the two countries signed documents for joint drone production and energy sector cooperation. Romania has also provided energy support to Ukraine during the war, and Ukraine has exported grain through Romania, according to the report.
Zelenskyy’s trip comes as new research discussed oil money tied to Russia’s war effort. Zelenskyy was a day before he planned to visit French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, and he said research indicated Russia’s oil revenue has risen since the Iran war began. The report cited the nonprofit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air as saying Russia’s daily revenue from oil sales during the Iran conflict has averaged 14% higher than February.
The report also cited Isaac Levi of the CREA saying Russia has earned 510 million euros ($588 million) every day this month from oil and liquefied natural gas exports, and that most Russian LNG goes to the European Union. Levi said China, Turkey and India currently make up 90% of all Russia’s crude oil exports, and he said the windfall is boosting Russia’s economy after it had felt pressure from international sanctions.
Macron’s office said talks with Zelenskyy will focus on efforts to counter Russia’s “shadow fleet of tankers” that ship oil in violation of international sanctions but are difficult to stop, according to the report. Separate from the diplomacy discussions, the report also described drone strikes attributed to Ukraine in southern Russia.
A senior Ukrainian official claimed Thursday that long-range drones operated by a special operations unit of the Ukraine Security Service struck a major oil depot and transshipment terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar region. The official said the attack dealt a significant blow to Russia’s fuel logistics and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
Russian officials responded to related incidents. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a separate drone attack on a compressor station serving a natural gas pipeline to Turkey was an “absolutely reckless action,” while the Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 10 Ukrainian drones overnight around the compressor station in the Krasnodar region and said there was no damage to the facility.