President Volodymyr Zelensky told Sky News that Iran provided drones to Russia from the early days of the war, calling it direct involvement in the attack on Ukraine. 'Without any escalation on our part, Iran began supplying weapons to Russia,' he said. The statement follows Iranian anger over an alleged Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, with Tehran threatening a response.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Sky News interview that Iran supplied drones to Russia from the early days of the war and that this constitutes 'direct involvement' in the attack on Ukraine. The statement, reported by N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig, comes minutes after The Zioneer reported at 09:09 that Zelensky had accused Iran and North Korea of 'already attacking Ukraine' by supplying weapons.
The latest interview adds the specific framing of direct involvement. The context also includes Iranian anger over an alleged Ukrainian strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, which Tehran described as an attack carried out at Israel's behest. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously warned that the action 'cannot go unanswered,' as The Zioneer reported on Sunday evening.
The exchange marks a further escalation in the war of words between Kyiv and Tehran. Zelensky's framing of the arms supply as an act of direct involvement shifts the narrative beyond mere assistance. The claims of a Ukrainian strike on the Iranian vessel have not been independently verified.
3 developments
- DevelopingZelensky: Russia provided Iran with drones used in attack on Israel
- DevelopingZelensky says Iran, North Korea already attacked Ukraine, after Tehran threatened retaliation over ship strike
- DevelopingZelensky: Ukraine's drones superior to Iran's, interception remains challenge
- StrongUkraine launches drone strikes on Russian military airfields, including in Crimea, Zelensky says
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