News Flash
KYIV, Ukraine, March 15, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Foreign countries and firms that wish to buy Ukrainian drones should not be able to bypass the Ukrainian government by talking directly to manufacturers, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks released Sunday.
Zelensky said a new system was needed to prevent this from happening, and that his government had already reprimanded one manufacturer for selling interceptors without considering the implications for Ukraine's defences.
The US-Israeli war with Iran has sparked renewed interest in Ukrainian drone interceptors, with the United States and its Middle Eastern allies looking for ways to counter Iranian drone attacks.
Kyiv has sent teams offering expertise in downing Iranian-designed drones to countries in the Gulf, requesting they provide US-designed Patriot air defences capable of downing Russian missiles in exchange.
"Unfortunately, representatives of certain governments or companies want to bypass the Ukrainian state to purchase specific equipment," Zelensky told reporters, including AFP, in remarks embargoed until Sunday.
"Even in some free countries, we do not initially receive contracts from the private sector. A contract comes to me through the political channel. Only then does the private sector start negotiating with us," he added.
He said his government had already reprimanded one company: "It's up to you to sell if you want, okay. But it will not work without our soldiers. And that is unacceptable: for a private sector entity to practically take away warriors or drone operators from our defence."
Russia has fired tens of thousands of drones at Ukraine since invading in February 2022.
Kyiv uses a mix of cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools and anti-aircraft guns to neutralise them.
Ukraine has suggested it could exchange its low-cost interceptors with expensive Patriot missiles, which Gulf nations are currently using to down cheap Iranian drones but which Ukraine needs to counter advanced Russian ballistic missiles.
