WASHINGTON -- As Iranian drone and missile attacks test American defenses in the Middle East, a visiting Ukrainian delegation says the United States is now facing a battlefield reality Kyiv has been adapting to since the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“The mass and scale attack of cheap drones…really changes how systems perform,” Maryna Hrytsenko, executive director of the Kyiv-based Snake Island Institute, told RFE/RL in an interview during a visit to Washington on March 24.
Her warning comes as Ukrainian officials seek to translate frontline experience into strategic lessons for Western partners -- arguing that Ukraine’s war has become a real-world stress test for modern air defense.
At the center of that message is a stark economic imbalance. Advanced systems like the Patriot air defense system remain highly effective but using them against waves of low-cost drones is unsustainable over time.
“We understood for a very long time that it's not cost-effective to use $4.5 million missiles for Patriots to shoot down a $500,000 Shahed drone,” Hrytsenko said.
A War Ukraine Knows Well
The Ukrainian delegation’s US visit -- following appearances at a security forum in Miami and continuing meetings across Washington -- comes as conflicts involving Iran highlight vulnerabilities that Ukraine has been documenting since 2022.
The group includes not only policy and analytical staff from the Snake Island Institute, but also Ukrainian military practitioners directly involved in air defense operations.
Among them are an air force representative who works closely with US systems and a senior officer from the Army Corps responsible for implementing air defense across the front line.
According to Hrytsenko, their role is to provide “battlefield-validated” insight into how Western systems perform under sustained, large-scale attacks -- something the US has had limited experience with until recently.
“I think what America has faced for the first time is the mass-scale attack of cheap drones…that really changes how systems perform,” she said.
Hrytsenko said the Middle East is not yet experiencing the full spectrum of threats Ukraine faces today but recent developments echo earlier phases of the war.
“I think the Middle East is not facing everything that we are facing right now,” she said, noting differences in maritime capabilities and battlefield dynamics.
Still, she pointed to parallels in the use of mass drone attacks and the targeting of detection systems.
“Not only the air defense systems are important, but the radars, right? The ability to understand where this [threat] is coming from,” she said, recalling how similar challenges emerged in Ukraine after Iranian-designed drones were introduced in large numbers.
Ukraine’s response has been to build a layered air defense system -- combining Western platforms with new technologies such as interceptor drones, acoustic sensors, and even citizen reporting networks.
The approach is detailed in a recent Snake Island Institute report, Holding Back the Sky, which tracks the evolution of Ukraine’s air defense from Soviet-era systems in 2022 to a hybrid architecture by early 2026.
Partnership, Not Assistance
In meetings with the White House, Congress, the Pentagon, and think tanks, the delegation is pushing a consistent message: Ukraine should be treated as a security partner, not just a recipient of aid.
“We don’t believe in assistance,” Hrytsenko said. “We believe that long-term cooperation is built through partnership.”
She argued that Ukraine can help the US address broader strategic challenges -- from Europe to the Indo-Pacific -- by sharing battlefield-tested solutions and reducing the burden on American forces.
“Ukraine can actually be that power…that can help America to fit its goals and lower its presence if needed in Europe,” she said.
The delegation is also emphasizing practical cooperation, including ongoing testing of Ukrainian drone and defense technologies in the US and the need to integrate training alongside procurement.
“There is already some of the Ukrainian systems that are being tested here,” she said, adding that implementation -- not just acquisition -- is critical.
Divided Attention, Shared Threats
The widening conflict involving Iran has had mixed implications for Ukraine, Hrytsenko said.
On one hand, it has reinforced Kyiv’s warnings about the growing accessibility of drone warfare -- even for nonstate actors.
“The threshold of entering…military combat…has really, really lowered,” she said, noting that components can now be sourced cheaply and assembled at scale.
On the other hand, shifting US attention and resources pose risks. Interceptor stockpiles -- particularly for systems like Patriot -- have been drawn down, potentially limiting near-term deliveries to Ukraine.
“Americans have used a lot of their stockpiles,” she said, adding that Ukraine continues to explore alternatives but faces challenges in producing comparable systems domestically.
At the same time, she pointed to what Kyiv sees as an increasingly coordinated alignment among US adversaries.
“I think the adversary connection has never been more clear now,” she said, citing cooperation between Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea.
According to Hrytsenko, Russia is already supporting Iran in ways that directly affect US interests.
“Our government says that Russia is giving intelligence to the Iranians that impacts and literally helps Iranians to take American lives and Israeli lives,” she said.
War And Diplomacy Intertwined
On the battlefield, Ukraine continues to balance military operations with diplomatic efforts.
Hrytsenko confirmed that Kyiv is pursuing gains to strengthen its negotiating position, while adapting to an increasingly drone-centric war.
“Right now, it's all more about drones,” she said, emphasizing the growing importance of air defense at the front line.
At the same time, Ukraine has shifted its communications approach, focusing less on announcing counteroffensives in advance and more on operational surprise.
“We switch not to just talking about making some counteroffensive measures, but mostly making them,” she said.
Despite ongoing fighting, she reiterated that Ukraine remains open to negotiations -- but on terms shaped by strength.
“Russia only understands strength,” she said.
Beyond Weapons: Lessons To Implement
For the Snake Island Institute, the goal of the Washington visit is not just to share insights but to influence how they are applied.
“It goes a long way from just reading and knowing…to making the decision,” Hrytsenko said.
She stressed that cooperation should go beyond procurement to include training and integration of Ukrainian systems into US military structures.
“It’s not enough to just procure Ukrainian weapons,” she said. “The training, the way that you implement this…is key.”
That includes ongoing collaboration on drone technologies, electronic warfare, and maritime systems -- some of which are already being tested in joint frameworks.
As the US confronts evolving threats in multiple regions, Ukrainian officials say their experience offers a preview of what modern warfare increasingly looks like -- and a case for deeper cooperation built on it.
