KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine is awaiting White House approval for a major drone production agreement proposed by Kyiv last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, as countries scramble to modernize their air defenses after the Iran war exposed shortcomings.
The proposed U.S.-Ukraine deal would cover various types of drones and air defenses that operate as a single system capable of protecting against swarms of hundreds or even thousands of Iranian-designed Shahed drones and missiles, Zelenskyy said in a message on social media.
“We have not yet had the opportunity to sign this document,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia, which invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, has fired more than 57,000 Shahed drones at Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said earlier this week. It launched more than 800 drones and decoys in its biggest nighttime barrage of Ukraine.
Iran has responded to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes by firing the same type of drones at targets in the Middle East.
A Patriot air defense missile costs $3 million–$4 million, while a Shahed costs about $130,000–$150,000, Zelenskyy said during a visit to Romania, adding that the United States produces about 60–65 Patriot missiles per month.
Ukraine has pioneered the development of cut-price drone killers, some of which cost a few thousand dollars, that have rewritten the air defense rule book. The conflict unfolding in the Middle East might prompt American officials to sign the drone production proposal, Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine is keen to lock in future foreign support for its ongoing effort to thwart Russia’s invasion, and drone production agreements could bring Kyiv some diplomatic leverage in negotiations with Moscow.
U.S.-mediated talks seeking to stop Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II are on hold due to the Iran war, though they could resume next week, according to the Ukrainian leader.
Russia's oil earnings boosted by Iran war
Zelenskyy was in NATO member Romania a day before he visits French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, as new research indicated Russian oil revenue that helps drive its invasion of Ukraine has risen since the Iran war began.
Russia’s daily revenue from oil sales during the Iran conflict, which has brought a sharp increase in the price of crude, has been on average 14% higher than in February, according to the nonprofit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Oil revenue is crucial for Moscow's war effort.
Russia has been earning 510 million euros ($588 million) every day this month from oil and liquefied natural gas exports, according to Isaac Levi of the CREA. Most Russian LNG goes to the European Union, while China, Turkey and India currently make up 90% of all Russia’s crude oil exports, he told The Associated Press in an interview.
The windfall is boosting the Russian economy, which previously was feeling the pinch of international sanctions, he said.
Macron’s office said his talks with the Ukrainian leader will focus on efforts to counter Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers that are shipping oil in violation of international sanctions but are hard to stop.
Zelenskyy met in Bucharest with Romanian President Nicușor Dan, who told a news conference that the two countries signed documents for joint drone production and energy sector cooperation.
Ukraine has exported a significant amount of its grain through Romania during the war, and Bucharest has provided energy support to Kyiv as Moscow’s forces blast Ukraine’s power grid.
Ukraine targets Russian energy sites
Long-range drones operated by a special operations unit of the Ukraine Security Service struck a major oil depot and transshipment terminal in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, a senior Ukrainian official claimed Thursday.
The attack dealt a significant blow to Russia’s fuel logistics, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a separate drone attack on a compressor station serving a natural gas pipeline to Turkey was an “absolutely reckless action.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 10 Ukrainian drones overnight around the compressor station in the Krasnodar region. It said there was no damage to the facility.
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Associated Press writer Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.
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