US asked Ukraine for help fighting Iranian drones, Zelensky says
Amid escalating Iranian drone and missile attacks in the Middle East, the US has reportedly asked Ukraine for help countering these threats, given Ukraine’s hard-won expertise in defending against mass drone strikes. Commenters weigh the geopolitical irony and ethics of Washington seeking assistance after wavering support for Kyiv, and debate whether Ukraine should trade such help for concrete commitments like Patriot missile supplies or other guarantees. The exchange also prompts broader concern about depleted interceptor stockpiles, the economics of drone warfare, and the risk of a wider regional conflict and energy shock.
Drone Warfare Dynamics and Economics
- Participants distinguish between:
- Cheap, short‑range quadcopters built in small workshops.
- Larger, long‑range “Shahed-style” winged drones that need sizable industrial facilities.
- Consensus that:
- Both sides in Ukraine scaled drone production rapidly; it’s hard to suppress such dispersed, commodity-based supply chains.
- Interceptor stockpiles (e.g., Patriot, THAAD-class systems) are finite and risk depletion; more “squeakers” get through over time.
- Several note Russia and Iran can likely mass-produce long‑range drones and missiles; cutting off components is difficult.
Ukraine’s Role and Tech
- Ukraine is portrayed as de facto global leader in drone defense:
- Uses auditory networks, mobile response teams, interceptor drones, AA guns, and aircraft.
- Developing specialized anti‑drone drones (“drone killers”), including multiple interceptor models.
- Some say Ukraine should sell its systems to the US, Israel, and Gulf states; others worry any shared tech will quickly reach Russia.
- There’s debate over whether Ukraine should help only in exchange for more Patriot missiles or broader security guarantees.
Air Defense Options and Cost Asymmetry
- Thread contrasts:
- Expensive interceptors (Patriot, THAAD) vs. cheap drones (“flying lawn mowers”).
- Alternatives: interceptor drones, radar‑guided AA, Phalanx/CRAM, APKWS rockets from air or ground, MANPADS, Iron Dome, and laser systems (Iron Beam).
- General agreement Patriots should be reserved for ballistic/higher‑end threats, not routine drone swarms, though in practice you sometimes “shoot with what you have.”
US–Ukraine Aid and Reciprocity Debate
- Strong disagreement on:
- How much aid the US is currently giving and whether new allocations are actually being disbursed.
- Whether Ukraine “owes” help in return or should act purely on market terms (“we paid already” vs. “aid wasn’t a loan”).
- Some see US behavior as hypocritical: slow‑rolling aid to Ukraine, then asking for Ukrainian help under pressure from Iranian drones.
- Others view Ukrainian reluctance (or conditionality) as ungrateful, given prior Western support.
Iran Conflict, Energy, and Civilian Harm
- Several comments link the request for Ukrainian help to:
- Massive interceptor use by Gulf states (hundreds of Patriot missiles).
- Attacks on refineries and LNG facilities, plus Strait of Hormuz disruptions, driving sharp short‑term spikes in EU gas, kerosene, and diesel prices.
- Some argue the US/allies plan to “bomb Iran into the stone age”; others say strategic bombing historically fails at its objectives.
- Discussion notes the Minab school airstrike with high child casualties:
- Some initially doubt attribution, citing past misreporting; others point to major media now assigning responsibility to the US.
- Consensus that, regardless of exact launch platform, US and Israel share responsibility because the strikes are viewed as illegal by these commenters.
Prospects of Ground War with Iran
- A few posts speculate:
- Ground invasion would be disastrous given Iran’s terrain and scale.
- Staging options are limited; Iraq-based forces could be vulnerable from multiple directions.
- Kurdish‑controlled corridors might allow light infantry staging but not a decisive breakout into Iran proper.