Iran admitted for the first time on Saturday that it supplied drones to Russia before it invaded Ukraine in late February, confirming Kiev’s accusations against Moscow that it is suspected of using Iranian drones to attack civilians and infrastructure. “We provided Russia with a limited number of drones months before the war in UkraineIran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian announced this on Saturday, citing the official Irna agency.
It is the first time Tehran has reported supplying Moscow with drones, a claim Iran has kept in check in recent weeks despite repeated accusations by Kiev and its Western allies to deny the claims. “Even in making this confession, they lied“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded in the evening, accusing Iran’s leaders of minimizing the number of drones.
“We shoot down at least 10 Iranian drones every day, and the Iranian regime says it will give little, and even before a full-scale invasion begins.From Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky condemned. “Yesterday, 11 Shaheds were destroyed in just one day. We know for sure that Iranian instructors taught Russian terrorists how to use drones, and Tehran is completely silent about it.“, he added: Kiev already confirmed a few days ago that “about 400 dronesIranian weapons had already been used against the Ukrainian population, and that Moscow had ordered about 2,000.
For the President of Ukraine.If Iran continues to lie about the obvious, it means the world will do more to investigate the terrorist cooperation between the Russian and Iranian regimes, and what Russia is paying Iran for such cooperation.“. “The fact that only one of the terrorists or their accomplices remains unpunished will not exist in the modern world.Vladimir Zelensky concluded on this topic.
“Tehran must realize that the consequences of Russia’s crimes against Ukraine will be much greater than the benefit of Russia’s support.– Oleg Nikolenko, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, announced earlier. Iran’s foreign minister said on Saturday that he was ready to examine any “proofsFrom Kiev, about the use of Iranian drones in the conflict. Tehran’s admissions of drone supplies to Moscow further point to a rapprochement between Russia and Iran that has begun in recent months in the face of Ukraine, which is largely supported by the United States and the EU, and while China remains silent on any direct involvement. in the war.
Iran, however, denied on Saturday that its country supplied missiles to Russia, calling the accusations.totally wrong“. The news of the last days reports about the possible supply of Iranian “surface-to-surface” missiles to Russia.
Despite Tehran’s denials in recent weeks, the EU and the UK announced new sanctions targeting three Iranian generals and an arms company.responsible for the supply of kamikaze drones to Russiabomb Ukraine. In September, Kiev, in turn, decided to significantly reduce its diplomatic relations with Tehran.
Source: Le Figaro
