Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that anti-drone weapons intended for Ukraine have been redirected to American forces in the Middle East.
He made the confirmation during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday morning.
“Senator, as you know, the Middle East is and remains a very dynamic theater,” Hegseth explained. “In the interest of putting America and Americans first, we’re going to surge counter UAS systems to our troops and our bases and our places first, if we think there’s a potential for a threat, and considering the environment there right now that has been and will continue to be a priority for us.”
Hegseth did not specify which weapons were involved or elaborate on the nature of the threat.
His remarks came in response to a question referencing media reports about a Pentagon notice to Congress, which indicated that critical anti-drone technology originally allocated to Ukraine would be redirected to U.S. Air Force units in the Middle East.
This transfer comes as the U.S. confronts escalating threats in the Middle East, particularly from Iran amid nuclear deal tensions. Additionally, the U.S. faces threats from Iran-backed militias throughout the region. In recent months, the Pentagon has transferred air defense systems to the area, including the Patriot missile defense system, which was previously stationed in South Korea.
Hegseth’s testimony followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement to ABC News that the U.S. would divert “20,000 missiles,” originally promised to Ukraine under an agreement with the Biden administration, to the Middle East.
The Ukrainian president described the assets as “not expensive, but [a] special technology” designed specifically to defend against Shahed drones.
The War Zone reported that Zelenskyy was likely referring to laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rocket systems. “There are no traditional missiles available anywhere near that number, but APKWS is designed to be produced in large numbers and is specifically capable of countering Russian Shahed-136 long-range suicide drones,” the news outlet wrote.
The Pentagon did not confirm if the assets were being transferred to the Middle East.
The supposed transfer follows Russia’s heaviest drone strikes on Ukraine since the war began. Overnight Monday, Russia launched 499 drones and missiles targeting western regions of Ukraine. According to an official statement from Ukraine’s Air Defence forces, 479 of these threats were successfully intercepted.
