For Ukraine, Iran War Triggers A 'Oil Like' Drone Demand Rush

Ukrainian drone manufacturers say they have been inundated with requests from the Middle East since the outbreak of war in the region, likening the surging interest in Ukraine's drone technology to a modern-day gold rush.

Kyiv has become one of the world's most advanced drone manufacturing hubs since Russia invaded in 2022, forcing it to develop an entire industry of weapons to fend off nightly Russian aerial barrages.

The country now has hundreds of manufacturers pumping out millions of devices -- from small first-person-view (FPV) craft used along the front line to interceptors that take down enemy drones mid-air.

With US allies across the Gulf being attacked by Iranian drones -- the kind that Russia has been firing at Ukraine for the past four years -- Ukraine's weapons sector says its wares are in high demand.

General Cherry, a major private sector producer of anti-Shahed interceptor drones, told AFP it has received "hundreds, even thousands" of requests since the start of the war in the Middle East, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

"Almost every Middle Eastern country attacked by Iran" has been in touch -- government representatives, private companies and middlemen -- spokesman Marko Kushnir told AFP.

"The interest is enormous," he added, without disclosing specific details on the conversations.

'Like Oil'

"Neither the US, nor Europe, nor the Middle East are prepared for drone warfare," a Ukrainian drone unit commander told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"That's why there's so much interest in everything Ukraine is doing in the drone sector," he added.

Ukraine has largely banned exports of military equipment since Russia invaded, though it has repeatedly talked about wanting to ease restrictions.

One country managed to obtain just eight drone interceptors -- but without any explosive charges, making them useless, one senior Ukrainian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

President Volodymyr Zelensky was quick to recognise the opportunity of the war in the Middle East.

"For us, drones are like oil," he said in mid-March.

Around 200 Ukrainian military specialists have already been dispatched to the Gulf, but Kyiv has not said how many drone interceptors, if any, have been used.

US President Donald Trump has rebuffed the idea of turning to Kyiv for help.

'Quick Money'

Zelensky is seeking long-term deals with various countries to finance production inside Ukraine.

Industry estimates suggest only half of the potential production capacity is being used due to a shortage of funds.

But Zelensky has criticised countries trying to bypass Kyiv's official restrictions and slammed private companies seeking "quick money", threatening them with "unpleasant measures" if they make deals without approval.

Manufacturers that AFP spoke to insist that supplies for Ukraine's army will not be affected by any export deals.

They also say sales abroad would not increase the risk of Russia getting its hands on the technology.

"We definitely can see the spike in terms of interest towards the interceptors," said a spokesperson for major Ukrainian producer, Skyfall.

So secretive is the industry that the man only identified himself by his pseudonym, Ares, and wore a mask as he demonstrated his firm's P1-Sun interceptor to AFP journalists at an undisclosed location.

Deployed for use in recent months, the drone -- whose name is a pun on the word "penis" -- is considered one of the most effective defences against the Russian Iranian-style attack drones.

'Millionaire'

Skyfall touts its model as "the cheapest interceptor right now in the world".

They sell to the Ukrainian army for around $1,000 a unit and say they could produce 50,000 a month.

Manufacturers say exports are not just about shipping devices.

"What's much more important and valuable is selling our expertise, our experience, our understanding of tactics for rapid deployment," said General Cherry's Kushnir.

So will Ukraine be able to cash in on the drone rush?

Not necessarily, military expert Sergiy Zgurets told AFP.

He thinks the rich Gulf states will carry on relying on conventional, expensive air defence missiles.

And inside the army, the idea of making money from the war has triggered an ethical dilemma.

"Somebody becomes a millionaire, another ends up dead or amputated," the commander of one drone unit said. 

"Yet they seem to be serving the same cause."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)