Zelensky reported 11 requests from the USA, Iran’s neighbors, and European countries for help against drones

Ukraine, which has been fending off Iranian ‘Shaheds’ in the Russian war for years, is now becoming a source of military experience for others. On March 9, Volodymyr Zelensky announced 11 requests for assistance in countering drones — from Iran’s neighbors, European countries, and the USA.

Ukraine is gradually turning its heavy military experience into a separate tool of influence. What was recently a matter of its own survival under the strikes of Russian and Iranian drones is now something other states are turning to Kyiv for.

On March 9, 2026, Volodymyr Zelensky announced following a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Headquarters that Ukraine had already received 11 requests for assistance in countering drones. According to him, these requests come from states — neighbors of Iran, European countries, and the USA.

The President of Ukraine specifically clarified that partners are interested not in abstract ‘consultation,’ but in quite specific Ukrainian developments. Among them are interceptors, electronic warfare systems, and training on countering ‘Shaheds’ and other similar threats. Zelensky also stated that Ukraine has already responded to some of these requests with specific solutions and concrete support.

Why this is an important signal

The very wording already says a lot about Ukraine’s new role. Kyiv has long acted not only as a recipient of military aid but also as a country that has accumulated one of the largest practical arrays of experience in the world in repelling attacks by Iranian strike drones. And now this experience is needed not only by Europe but also by states around Iran that have directly felt the threat of such a war.

In essence, a sharp geopolitical shift is occurring. Iranian technologies that Moscow used against Ukraine have now become a threat to a wider region. And Ukraine, which has learned for years to shoot down such targets, suppress them with electronic warfare means, and adapt interceptors for mass raids, is gaining the opportunity to export not only political arguments but also real solutions.

What exactly was requested from Ukraine

According to Zelensky’s words, interest in Ukrainian capabilities is focused on three areas. The first is interceptors, that is, practical means of destroying strike drones. The second is electronic warfare systems, without which protection against massive attacks is already impossible today. The third is training and education, because even equipment without properly structured tactics provides limited effect.

This is an important point for understanding what is happening in the Middle East. Judging by the requests, it is not about a political gesture in support of Ukraine, but about recognizing that the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian defense sector now possess experience that many formally wealthier countries simply do not have in such volume.

Ukraine has already started such assistance

It was also separately reported about another important detail. According to Zelensky, Ukraine sent drone interceptors and a group of specialists to protect American military bases in Jordan. However, there was no public confirmation from the USA at the time this information appeared.

Even with this caveat, the scale of the news is clear. If Ukrainian specialists and technologies are already being used to protect US facilities in the Middle East, it means that the Ukrainian experience of war with the Russian-Iranian drone threat has ceased to be only a Ukrainian topic. It is becoming part of a broader security architecture.

What this means for Ukraine and its allies

For Kyiv, this is a chance to show that support for Ukraine works both ways. Not only do allies help Ukraine stand firm, but Ukraine is already capable of enhancing the security of those who help it. Zelensky directly stated that Ukraine is ready to respond positively to the requests of those who support the protection of Ukrainian lives and the country’s independence.

For allies, this is also a direct lesson: drone warfare is no longer a local feature of the Russian-Ukrainian front. It has become an exportable threat. And if Iran’s neighbors, European countries, and the USA already need Ukrainian experience, it means we are talking about a new military normality, where cheap strike drones and massive attacks become a constant factor of global instability.

NANovosti records the main point: Ukraine is increasingly acting not only as a victim of aggression but as a country whose technologies, tactics, and hard-learned lessons of war are in demand far beyond its borders. And this is no longer just a political symbol. It is a new reality in which Kyiv is sought for protection from the very threat it has been fighting for many years.