Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint press conference with the Lithuanian and Polish presidents, after attending commemorations of the 1863 uprising, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Jan. 25, 2026. Petras Malukas/AFP via Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces have been involved in shooting down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in the Middle East during the recent Iran war, revealing a previously undisclosed overseas defensive role.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian personnel participated in active defense operations abroad using domestically produced interceptor drones. The Shahed drones, originally designed by Iran and widely used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, have become a shared threat across multiple regions.
