Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said a “small number” of drones had been deployed a few months before the February 24 Russian invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Tehran of lying, saying Kiev forces shot down at least 10 of the unmanned aerial vehicles every day. In Iran’s most detailed response to date, Amirabdollahian denied that Tehran was continuing to supply drones to Moscow. “This fuss made by some Western countries that Iran provided missiles and drones to Russia to help the war in Ukraine – the missile part is completely wrong,” the official IRNA news agency said. Police officers shoot at a drone in Kyiv on October 17. (Vadim Sarakhan/Reuters) “The drone part is real and we provided Russia with a small number of drones months before the war in Ukraine,” he said. In recent weeks Ukraine has reported an increase in drone attacks on civilian infrastructure, mainly targeting power plants and dams, using Iranian Shahed-136 drones. Russia denies that its forces used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. In a video interview, Zelensky dismissed talk of limited Iranian supplies to Russia, saying Ukraine shot down 11 drones on Friday alone. “If Iran continues to lie about the obvious, it means the world will make even more efforts to investigate the terrorist cooperation between the Russian and Iranian regimes and what Russia is paying Iran for such cooperation,” he said. Separately, US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Maley tweeted that it was not true that Iran had sent some drones. Locals look at a damaged drone in Kyiv on October 17. (Vladyslav Musiienko/Reuters) “They moved dozens just this summer and they have military personnel in occupied Ukraine helping Russia use them,” he said. Zelensky, who has repeatedly pressed allies to provide more anti-aircraft and missile defenses, said he expected “good news” in the coming weeks, but gave no details. Kyiv, he added, will start a fundraising campaign next week to buy maritime drones. Last month, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters that Iran had promised to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to more drones. WATCHES | Russia launches deadly drone strikes in Kyiv:
Russia launches deadly drone strikes in Kyiv
Waves of Russian suicide drones have brought terror to the Ukrainian capital. Among the targets, civil infrastructure such as power and heating. But at least one apartment building was also hit, killing four people, including a pregnant woman. IRNA quoted Amirabdollahian as saying that Tehran and Kyiv had agreed to discuss the allegations regarding the use of Iranian drones, but the Ukrainians did not appear at the talks. In a response on Facebook, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said Amirabdolakhian was spreading “hints about alleged denial on the Ukrainian side.” Amirabdollahian reiterated that Tehran “would not remain indifferent” if it turned out that Russia had used Iranian drones against Ukraine. The European Union last month agreed new sanctions on Iran over drone deliveries, and Britain imposed sanctions on three Iranian military personnel and a defense manufacturer.
