Israel Seeks Ukrainian Assistance to Counter Iranian Drone Threat
Israeli military officials have requested assistance from Ukraine’s government to supply counter-drone technology capable of defending against Iranian unmanned aircraft used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to strike Israeli-occupied territories during the ongoing conflict. Israeli media outlet Ynetnews reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed the request through a conversation with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk.
Ukraine claims to possess weapons technology capable of countering Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles, which are also being deployed by Russian military forces in their conflict with Ukraine. According to Ynetnews, Netanyahu requested that Ambassador Korniychuk relay Israel’s plea to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Israel is requesting Ukrainian weapons expertise to counter Iranian drones. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested an emergency call with President Zelensky regarding Israel’s need to deepen military cooperation in countering Iranian drones,” the Ynetnews report stated on Saturday, 14 March 2026.
Ambassador Korniychuk confirmed the Ynetnews reporting, acknowledging that Netanyahu had indeed made the request recently. He noted that Zelensky has stated publicly on several occasions to European media that he is prepared to assist Israel in its conflict with Iran.
However, Korniychuk stated that a direct conversation between Netanyahu and Zelensky has not yet taken place. “Israel’s request has been communicated, but a direct conversation between Netanyahu and Zelensky has not yet occurred,” he said.
The ambassador suggested the delay may be due to scheduling constraints, with neither a direct meeting nor a telephone conversation having taken place. “I hope their conversation can happen in the coming weeks,” he stated. Although no formal agreement has been reached regarding Israel’s request, Ambassador Korniychuk affirmed Ukraine’s political position in the conflict between Israel and Iran, placing Ukraine on the side of Israel.
Korniychuk stated that Israel is an important partner for Ukraine in the region. “We always support all of our partners,” he said. Ukraine’s clear position, according to Korniychuk, stems from Kyiv’s grievances with Iran.
“Iran previously shot down a Ukrainian civilian aircraft without compensation or acknowledgement,” Korniychuk stated. This reference related to the alleged 2020 shooting down of a Ukrainian civilian aircraft by Iran, which resulted in the deaths of 176 Ukrainian citizens.
Additionally, Ukraine, which is itself at war with Russia, views Iran as a country supporting President Vladimir Putin through the supply of attack drones used to strike Kyiv.
Although Ukrainian weaponry is supported by the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as several countries from Europe that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Ukraine sees Iran as a key drone supplier enabling Russia’s invasion. “Iran is a supplier of drone technology to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine,” Korniychuk said.
Therefore, he argued, there is no reason for Kyiv to avoid positioning itself against Iran or Russia. “We are not afraid of Iran,” he stated. “And we are on Israel’s side. We support our partners, like Israel, in this conflict,” Korniychuk concluded.