U.S. First Dismissed, Then Sought Ukraine’s Anti‑Shahed Drone Help for U.S. Bases as Kyiv Sends Drone Team to Jordan
Reporting shows that President Zelensky presented a detailed August 18, 2025, proposal at the White House offering Ukraine’s low‑cost interceptor drones and an anti‑Shahed toolkit to protect U.S. forces and allies, but U.S. officials then took no action for roughly seven months — a delay some U.S. officials later called a major tactical miscalculation. After Washington formally requested help, Kyiv quickly dispatched interceptor drones and a team of drone specialists to protect U.S. bases in Jordan, highlighting the stark cost gap between cheap Shahed drones (about $20,000–$50,000) and U.S. interceptors like PAC‑3 MSE missiles (around $3.8 million each).
📌 Key Facts
- On Aug. 18, 2025, President Zelensky presented a detailed proposal at the White House offering Ukraine’s low-cost interceptor drones and a broader anti‑Shahed toolkit to protect U.S. forces and allies in the Middle East.
- Zelensky’s PowerPoint warned that Iran is improving its Shahed one‑way attack drone design and proposed establishing 'drone combat hubs' in Turkey, Jordan and Persian Gulf states near U.S. bases.
- President Trump told his team at the August meeting to 'work on it,' but, according to Ukrainian and U.S. officials, the administration took no action on the offer for roughly seven months.
- After a formal request from Washington, Ukraine dispatched interceptor drones and a team of drone specialists to help protect U.S. bases in Jordan the next day; Zelensky said, 'We reacted immediately' and 'yes, of course, we will send our experts.'
- U.S. officials described the initial decision to shrug off Ukraine’s offer as 'one of the biggest tactical miscalculations' ahead of the Iran war, linking it to seven U.S. deaths from Shahed drones and millions spent on intercepts.
- The White House responded that Iranian retaliatory attacks are down about 90% due to U.S. strikes on Iranian missile capabilities and defended planning for Operation Epic Fury, calling unnamed critics 'cowardly.'
- Analysts emphasize a sharp cost imbalance: Patriot PAC‑3 MSE interceptors run about $3.8 million per missile versus Iranian Shahed drones at roughly $20,000–$50,000 each, altering the economics of defending against cheap, massed drones.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 10, 2026
11:00 AM
Ukraine sending drone team to help protect US bases in Jordan at Washington’s request, Zelenskyy says
New information:
- Zelenskyy told The New York Times that Washington formally requested Ukrainian drone assistance on a Thursday, and Ukraine dispatched interceptor drones and a team of drone specialists to help protect U.S. bases in Jordan the very next day.
- Zelenskyy is quoted as saying “We reacted immediately” and “yes, of course, we will send our experts,” indicating political willingness and speed of response.
- The article reiterates and quantifies the cost disparity between U.S. Patriot PAC‑3 MSE interceptors (about $3.8 million per missile) and Iranian Shahed drones (roughly $20,000–$50,000 each) and cites a CSIS missile-defense expert on why cheap drones are changing the economics of the conflict.
9:39 AM
Exclusive: U.S. dismissed Ukraine deal for anti-Iran drone tech last year
New information:
- Reveals that on Aug. 18, 2025, President Zelensky presented a detailed proposal at the White House offering Ukraine’s low‑cost interceptor drones and broader anti‑Shahed toolkit to protect U.S. forces and allies from Iranian‑made drones in the Middle East.
- Reports that Trump told his team at that August meeting to 'work on it,' but, according to a Ukrainian official and a U.S. official who saw the PowerPoint, the administration then took no action on the offer for roughly seven months.
- Details the Ukrainian PowerPoint, including its warning that 'Iran is improving its Shahed one-way-attack drone design' and a concept for 'drone combat hubs' in Turkey, Jordan and Persian Gulf states near U.S. bases.
- Quotes U.S. officials calling the decision to shrug off the offer 'one of the biggest tactical miscalculations' ahead of the Iran war and 'the' key tactical error before the conflict, linking it to seven U.S. deaths from Shahed drones and millions spent on intercepts.
- Includes a White House response claiming Iranian retaliatory attacks are down 90% due to U.S. strikes on missile capabilities and insisting that unnamed critics are 'cowardly' and wrong about the planning for Operation Epic Fury.
March 09, 2026