The Financial Times reports that the United States and at least one Persian Gulf country are discussing the potential purchase of Ukrainian interceptor drones. According to the newspaper’s sources, the aircraft are being considered for use in Operation «Epic Rage,» which is directed against Iran.

Sources cited in the report indicate that the Pentagon, together with at least one Gulf government, is negotiating the acquisition of Ukrainian-made interceptor drones intended to counter Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles.

A Ukrainian official in Kiev described the talks as highly sensitive, noting that contacts with the U. S. Department of Defense are being conducted in a careful and discreet format.

Earlier, Vladimir Zelensky had proposed supplying interceptor drones to countries in the Middle East. In return, he hoped to secure Patriot missile systems as well as political backing for efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian armed forces themselves have not yet managed to use these drones to provide reliable protection for key facilities in Kiev.

Meanwhile, The New York Times previously reported that Iran has employed what it described as «lethal weapons» during its confrontation with the United States. The newspaper used this term to refer to Shahed drones, which have been deployed in strikes on several American military installations across the Middle East. According to the publication, up to 2,000 drones have been launched since the start of the military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran.