At the Iranian embassy in Kyiv, a salmon-pink mansion close to the presidential administration, open days were held last week for anyone wishing to sign a book of condolences for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in the US-Israeli air strikes on Tehran. Candles lined the floor and mournful music played as diplomats guided visitors to a room with a portrait of Khamenei. There was, however, no queue of well-wishers.
The continued functioning of the embassy may surprise residents of Kyiv, who have spent many nights over the past four years listening to the roar of Iranian-designed Shahed drones transferred by Tehran to Russia. But the new conflict in the Middle East overlays Ukraine’s fight against invasion in complex ways. For Kyiv, there is rising interest in its experience and technology for countering Shaheds, now used by Iran against Gulf neighbours. Yet several wealthy nations are also boosting air defence spending, potentially reducing the supply available to Ukraine in an already stretched market.
Oleksii Reznikov, a former Ukrainian defence minister, said the conflict presented simultaneous “risks and opportunities”. He noted that “when DC started this war, Putin smiled in the Kremlin. He can show that his doctrine of ‘might is right’ was doable after all.” Reznikov, recently stranded in Israel when airspace closed, said countries were interested in interceptor drones. He added: “Maybe these countries will invest money in Ukrainian production, which would be a good thing.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to share Ukrainian expertise and proposed swapping cheap Ukrainian-made interceptor drones for more expensive Patriot air-defence missiles, of which Ukraine has a chronic shortage. The Guardian understands that delegations from several Gulf countries have visited Kyiv on fact-finding missions, and Zelenskyy has held telephone consultations with Gulf leaders. He said: “They are seeking our expertise. We are open.”
Moscow has responded cautiously to the strikes on its ally Iran. A prolonged Middle East conflict could raise oil prices, boosting Russia’s war economy. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, said: “The war that is under way is not our war. We must do what corresponds to our interests.” According to intelligence sources quoted by US outlets, Russia may be sharing targeting data with Iran about US forces. If true, Kyiv will hope this pushes the Trump administration to view Moscow as a clear-cut adversary.
