Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces shot down Iranian-made Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the fighting involving Iran, framing the missions as operational support tied to air-defense work rather than training exercises.
In remarks to journalists made public on Friday, Zelenskyy described the activity as part of what he called a broader effort to help partners counter the same kinds of drones that Russia uses in Ukraine. He said Ukraine’s participation involved active operations abroad, including work with interceptor drones made in Ukraine that, he said, had already been tested in combat to respond to Shahed drones.
Zelenskyy said his first public acknowledgment of the operations came during the week, after an earlier round of disclosures that he said had been under embargo. He did not name the countries involved, but he said Ukrainian servicemembers operated in “several nations,” and he previously reported sending 228 Ukrainian defense experts to the region.
He also said the purpose was practical capability-building. “It was not a training mission or military exercises,” Zelenskyy said, adding that it was aimed at support to help partners build a modern air-defense system that could work in real conditions.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine took part in defensive operations before a tentative ceasefire effort in the Middle East this week involving Iran, the United States and Israel. He said that, in exchange for assistance, Ukraine was receiving support to protect its energy infrastructure and additional supplies, including oil and diesel, and in some cases financial arrangements. He described the partnerships as something Ukraine would “commercialize,” while Kiev sought to formalize and expand its defense-export role.
Zelenskyy said the exchange was aimed at strengthening security for both sides: “We are helping to strengthen our security in exchange for contributions to the resistance of our country,” he said, adding that he viewed the arrangements as more than simply receiving money.
His disclosure came as he warned about concerns that attention and military support in the Middle East could divert Western aid away from Ukraine, particularly air-defense supplies. Zelenskyy said that concern did not match current support, saying his partners continued providing missiles for Patriot systems and that, in the previous days, he received a new batch as Ukraine worked with all partners to keep its air defenses firm.
Looking ahead, Zelenskyy said he expected pressure to rise for Ukraine as the war moves into the next seasonal stretch, warning that spring and summer could be difficult because of both battlefield conditions and political pressure in places such as the United States as it focuses on internal politics and elections.
Zelenskyy also said he had invited U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv and proposed a trilateral format involving Russia. He said it was still unclear whether the envoys would come to Kyiv or whether discussions would be held in a third country.
Separately, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to mirror any pause in fighting that Russia announces. After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter pause, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would respond in kind, including aiming for what he described as a path toward peace after the holiday.
Putin declared a 32-hour ceasefire during the weekend of the Orthodox Easter, ordering Russian forces to stop hostilities from 4 p.m. Saturday until the end of Sunday. Zelenskyy and the Kremlin have previously traded accusations about violations during earlier ceasefire attempts. The Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov described Putin’s move as “humanitarian,” while saying Russia remained focused on a broader deal based on Moscow’s long-stated demands.
Peskov also confirmed that Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev was in the United States for economic-related meetings and said Dmitriev was not participating in Ukraine-war discussions. The trip comes before the end of a 30-day U.S. exemption for Russian oil sanctions, according to the account provided in the remarks.