RH 3.9.26 | Russia, Iran War, Ukrainian Drone Experts, Middle East Escalation

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast  https://www.restrictedhandling.com/  Welcome back to The Restricted Handling Podcast where we break down the biggest global security stories. This week we dive into the surprising development of Ukraine sending drone defense experts to the Middle East to help protect U.S. military bases in Jordan as the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to unfold. Yes, you heard that right. A country in the middle of a major war is now exporting battlefield experience to help defend American forces from the exact same Iranian Shahed drones Russia has been using against Ukrainian cities for years.  We break down how Ukraine became the world's accidental laboratory for counter-drone warfare and why countries across the Middle East are suddenly calling Kyiv for help. Ukrainian forces spent years figuring out how to defeat swarms of cheap attack drones without burning through millions of dollars in missile interceptors. Those lessons are now being shared with the U.S. and several Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.  At the same time, the episode explores how Ukraine is trying to leverage this moment strategically. Kyiv is pushing for defense partnerships and weapons exchanges, including potential deals that trade Ukrainian drone defense expertise for desperately needed Patriot missile interceptors to defend against Russian ballistic missiles.  We also unpack the deeper geopolitical angle. Reports suggest Russia may have shared intelligence with Iran about U.S. military assets in the region. Whether that intelligence mattered operationally or not, it highlights the growing strategic alignment between Moscow and Tehran. The partnership that started with Iran supplying drones to Russia during the Ukraine war is now spilling into a broader geopolitical confrontation involving the United States.  Meanwhile the war in Ukraine itself continues grinding forward. Russian forces launched attacks across several fronts including Kharkiv, Kupyansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and the Hulyaipole sector, but failed to make confirmed territorial gains. The battlefield is increasingly dominated by drones, with both sides launching hundreds of unmanned aircraft in massive waves across the front lines and deep into each other's territory.  This episode connects the dots between the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the rapid rise of drone warfare, and the shifting alliances shaping global security in 2026. If you want a clear, energetic breakdown of what's happening and why it matters, you're in the right place.  Topics covered in this episode include:  Russia Ukraine War update  U.S. and Israel war with Iran  Ukraine drone warfare and interceptor drones  U.S. military bases in Jordan  Russia Iran strategic partnership  Shahed drone attacks and counter drone technology  Patriot missile shortages and air defense strategy  NATO airspace alerts in Poland  Russian shadow fleet sanctions enforcement  European defense spending and weapons imports  👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast  https://www.restrictedhandling.com/    Get the daily intelligence brief Ryan and Glenn read covering Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, the Middle East, geopolitics, sanctions, military and intel operations. Save a few hours of your time getting ahead of the news cycle at restrictedhandling.com.