LONDON — Ukraine announced it could supply partner countries with 1,000 interceptor drones per day to counter Shahed attacks starting immediately. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the announcement during a press conference in London.

Ukraine can produce at least 2,000 effective and combat-proven interceptors every day, while the country's military needs around 1,000 interceptor drones per day. "We can supply at least another 1,000 a day to our allies," Zelenskyy said.

Ihor Fedirko, CEO of the Ukrainian Council of defense Industry, said Ukraine's manufacturing capacity for interceptor drones is 2.5 times greater than what it can afford to purchase, and that gap could double within a few months. Ukraine is taking steps to export more military equipment to some partners, particularly in Europe, although many of those steps are still being worked out.

Interceptor drones cost between $2,000 and $6,000 each, compared to Iranian Shahed drones that generally cost between $20,000 and $50,000 each. One interceptor missile for a U.S.-made Patriot air defense system can cost around $4 million.

Ukraine has deployed more than 200 military experts in the Gulf region at the request of partner countries. "If a 'Shahed' needs to be stopped in the Emirates, we can do it. If it needs to be stopped in Europe or the United Kingdom, we can do it," Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine has deep experience combating the kind of drone attacks faced by the U.S. and its Middle East allies, as Iran has fired Shahed drones at those countries. Ukraine's exports of military equipment are heavily controlled to prioritize its own fight against Russia's invasion.

Ukraine has the capability to build radar coverage to detect drones and software for radars to function under electronic warfare interference. "Without a system, any interceptor is just a toy — not a real defender," Zelenskyy said.

The announcement comes as Ukraine could potentially increase supply to partners if additional investments are secured. "They know how to help, how to defend against 'Shahed' drones," Zelenskyy said, referring to Ukrainian military experts.