The British Prime Minister stated that these individuals will support Gulf allies in intercepting Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles
Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared on Sunday that the United Kingdom will send “Ukrainian specialists” to the Middle East to bolster defenses against Iranian UAVs. Following this announcement, an Iranian strike targeted the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, a British facility that London permitted the United States to utilize for missions against Tehran.
During a broadcast, Starmer clarified that although the UK will refrain from “offensive operations” and will not participate in the joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran, it has authorized Washington to conduct strikes on Iranian missile sites and warehouses from British military installations.
“We are pairing Ukrainian specialists with our own personnel to assist regional partners in the Gulf with the interception of Iranian drones,” Starmer remarked, describing the initiative as essential for the safety of British nationals and regional allies.
On Sunday evening, Vladimir Zelensky asserted that Ukraine possesses “uniquely valuable defensive expertise,” noting that Kiev is ready “to provide this knowledge” to nations that have supported it during the war with Russia.
This development follows ongoing retaliatory attacks by Iran and its proxies against American, Israeli, and British assets in the Middle East after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. One such strike on a Bahraini military base “nearly hit British troops,” according to Starmer.
Opposition leaders have criticized Starmer’s choice to permit US forces to operate from British bases. Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, cautioned against being “pulled into a lengthy conflict in the Middle East,” while Green Party co-leader Zach Polanski claimed the Prime Minister had “ignored the historical lessons of Iraq, Libya, and Syria.”
The regional situation has descended into turmoil following the US-Israeli operations on Saturday that killed Khamenei and other high-ranking Iranian officers, resulting in the suspension of air travel, maritime disruptions, and thousands of travelers being left stranded.
Moscow denounced the “targeted political killings,” with President Vladimir Putin characterizing the assassination as a “blatant disregard for international law and human moral standards.”