Riyadh, Kyiv form tighter defense ties to counter Iran’s attacks: Saudi Arabia and Ukraine signed a defense cooperation framework on Friday that lays the foundation for future joint investments, tech exchange, and defense procurement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram. The MoU was signed during an unannounced visit by Zelenskyy, who met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to align their defense capabilities, Reuters reports.

A new security paradigm

For the Kingdom, Ukraine offers a pragmatic solution to an expensive security gap. For years, Riyadh has relied on US-made Patriot and Thaad interceptors, costing USD 3 mn per missile, to down USD 20k Iranian Shahed drones — an economic mismatch that has become unsustainable with the scale of attacks the past month.

The pitch: Ukraine’s layered defense system costs just USD 2k per interceptor drone and can down nearly 1k UAVs in a single day with a 95% success rate, offering fast access to battle-tested rapid-response technologies, Bloomberg reports.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is looking for new defense partners: The Ukrainian leader is leveraging four years of anti-drone warfare expertise to secure Gulf funding and technology, saying Ukraine can produce about 2k drone interceptors daily with sufficient financing. The visit comes amid reports the US may redirect weapons earmarked for Ukraine to the Middle East as Iran tensions strain munitions stockpiles, pushing Kyiv to diversify defense ties.

Ukraine already has takers in the Gulf: Kuwait has already deployed Kyiv’s technology, Bloomberg reports citing a source familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy paid similar visits to the UAE and Qatar over the weekend, signing defense agreements.

ALSO- This month, Kyiv deployed over 220 experts to advise Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, on countering drone attacks, holding workshops and briefing the Saudi General Staff while sharing practical air defense experience.

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