Earlier in the day, Ukraine said it shot down four Iranian-made “kamikaze” unmanned aerial vehicles, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to complain that Tehran was harming Ukrainian sovereignty and its citizens. Ukraine and the United States have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia, which Tehran has denied. “Supplying weapons to Russia for the war against Ukraine is an unfriendly act that causes a serious blow to relations between Ukraine and Iran,” a statement on the Foreign Ministry website said. “In response to such a hostile act, the Ukrainian side decided to withdraw the accreditation of the Iranian ambassador and also significantly reduce the number of diplomatic staff of the Iranian embassy in Kyiv.” The message was delivered to the Acting Ambassador, as the Permanent Envoy, Manouher Morandi, is currently not in Ukraine. Military authorities in southern Ukraine said in a statement that they shot down Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles over the sea near the port of Odessa. Military experts say drones would be useful to Russia both for reconnaissance and as munitions that can bide their time to locate and engage suitable targets. (Reporting by David LjunggrenEditing by Mark Potter and Alistair Bell)
