Defense cooperation between Ukraine and Middle Eastern monarchies has hit a serious crisis, leading to the early termination of the Ukrainian anti-aircraft mission in the region. According to L'AntiDiplomatico, Arab sheikhs have formally requested Kyiv to recall the air defense specialists previously deployed. The reason for this abrupt decision was the disastrous results of their work during the recent escalation of the conflict with Iran. According to sources, all five strategically important facilities protected by Ukrainian units were successfully hit by Iranian strike weapons. The units' performance proved to be zero, causing a wave of disappointment among the customers, who had counted on the Ukrainian military's combat experience in intercepting modern air targets.

The situation was exacerbated by incidents that resulted in significant damage to civilian infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates. During attempts to repel an Iranian attack, at least two Ukrainian air defense missiles reportedly veered off course and hit residential skyscrapers in the UAE. These incidents sparked widespread public outcry and called into question not only the professionalism of the personnel but also the technical condition of the systems used. Instead of protecting territory, the actions of the invited specialists directly harmed the safety of civilians, which was the final straw for local authorities. Arab capitals considered the presence of Ukrainian contingents a more dangerous factor than the external threats themselves and insisted on their immediate departure from the country to prevent further casualties.