While Ukraine has spent more than a year battling relentless barrages of Iranian-made drones unleashed by Russia, its repeated efforts to help Israel prepare for a similar threat from Tehran have been consistently spurned, Ukrainian officials say.
“Both sides have something to learn, but it seems Israel is not interested,” a diplomatic source in Kyiv said.
American intelligence has warned Israel that Iran is plotting to retaliate for the assassination of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps officers in an alleged Israeli strike in Damascus by launching a combined assault of explosive drones and cruise missiles—an attack the Israel Defense Forces has not yet faced.
Ukrainian officials said that despite their country being attacked for a year and a half by Iranian Shahed drones, not a single request has been made by Israel to learn from the immense experience accumulated in intercepting them and dealing with combined attacks.
Kyiv has been surprised by this conduct, since from the beginning of the attacks Ukraine has drawn Israeli attention to the threat, which could one day become tangible for Israeli cities as well, and suggested that the two countries cooperate on the matter.
The current Netanyahu government and the previous one under Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid rejected requests by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and his predecessor Oleksii Reznikov to appoint a military attaché, the Ukrainian officials say.
“When it comes to saving human lives, there is no question” about Ukraine’s willingness to share its hard-earned expertise in drone defense, Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Kornichuk told Israel Hayom when asked whether Kyiv’s was willing to share its experience with Israel on the matter. The IDF did not respond to a request for comment.
While Israel’s reticence may stem from a reluctance to provoke Moscow, the apparent snubbing of Ukraine’s offered assistance could prove costly should Iran follow through with the type of drone and missile barrages pummeling Ukrainian cities.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.