US Asks Ukraine for Help to Counter Iranian Shahed Drones
Mar 5th 2026
Washington has asked Kyiv for technical help intercepting Iranian Shahed drones after recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran, a request that highlights both Ukraine's battlefield experience and the awkwardness of cooperation amid strained US-Ukraine ties.
- The US has requested Ukraine's help to counter Iranian Shahed drone attacks on US bases in the Middle East, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
- Ukraine has operational experience because Iran has supplied Shahed drones to Russia for use in the four-year war.
- Zelenskyy said the US, European governments and other partners have sought Kyiv's advice and that Ukraine is open to providing expertise.
- The request comes after joint US and Israeli strikes on Tehran that have sparked a regional escalation.
- Relations between Washington and Kyiv have been strained under President Trump, who has publicly pressured and criticized Ukraine while seeking talks with Russia.