“This is an urgent and delicate subject for the whole world,” Volodymyr Zelensky underlined. In an audio message broadcast to journalists, including those from CNN, the Ukrainian president spoke of the deployment of Ukrainian naval military drones to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage between Iran and Oman that has been heavily disrupted.
Since February 28, joint strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran have provoked retaliation, leading to an almost total blockage of the Strait of Hormuz through which a significant part of the world’s oil passes. The result is a rise in energy prices and tensions on supplies.
“Expertise” in the field
In his message, Volodymyr Zelensky speaks about the possible use of Ukrainian naval drones in the Strait of Hormuz, in connection with future agreements with partners in the Middle East. “We raised this issue because it is an urgent and delicate subject for the whole world, given the current energy crisis,” he insisted, adding that they knew they could “count on (their) expertise in this area.”
kyiv already uses naval drones in the Black Sea, notably to strike Russian oil tankers and secure its maritime routes. “Arab leaders understand that our armed forces have achieved excellent results in unblocking the Black Sea corridor,” added Volodymyr Zelensky. If the United States remains on the front line, the Ukrainian president says he is “fully ready to help his partners”.
This statement comes days after the signing of a defense agreement with several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.