Zelensky offers Ukraine's expertise to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz

The war with Russia taught Ukraine how to confront a major naval power in the Black Sea. Now Kiev, which needs financial and diplomatic help from its Western allies, is offering its expertise to the Persian Gulf.

Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky said Monday that Ukraine is ready to share its military expertise with countries seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, blocked by Iran in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes.

"We shared our experience with the Black Sea corridor and how it operates. They understand that our Armed Forces have been highly effective in unblocking the Black Sea corridor," Zelenski told Politico. "We raised this issue because it is a painful and urgent one—as we can all see, for the entire world. There is an energy crisis. They know they can rely on our expertise in this area, and we discussed it in detail."

Zelenski's words come after, between 2023 and 2024, Ukraine achieved something few experts expected: dismantling the naval blockade Russia had imposed on its Black Sea ports. To do so, it developed an integrated maritime protection system that combined coastal artillery, air force, mine cover and, above all, new-generation naval drones. The latter evolved from simple suicide craft to platforms capable of carrying machine guns, rocket launchers and FPV drones, even shooting down Russian aircraft.

The result of the operations was remarkable, as ports in the Odessa region continue to receive about 200 cargo ships per month, despite continued Russian attacks.

Andrii Klymenko, a researcher specializing in the Black Sea cited by Politico, describes the Ukrainian system as a "tunnel": an end-to-end protected route against air and underwater threats.

Adding to that scheme is a little-discussed financial dimension: Ukraine negotiated with international insurers - including Lloyd's of London - a shared coverage program that made access to its ports cheaper for commercial vessels. Without that piece, the sea corridor would not have worked.

According to Zelenski, Kiev does not intend to simply export arms to the Persian Gulf. The idea is to offer the complete model. "As of today, Ukraine’s marine drones are not only kamikaze boats, but also platforms that can carry machine guns, rocket launchers and FPV drones," said Ihor Fedirko, head of the country's Defense Industry Council.

More than 20 nations support Washington-led efforts to unblock Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied gas transit. However, almost no one wants a war with Iran. Ukraine, which has already unwittingly fought a massive conflict, now claims to have something valuable to offer: the experience of having fought a great battle at sea.