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This photograph taken on November 2, 2022, shows a part of the destroyed Orthodox Svyato-Heorhiyivsʹkyy Skyt of the Sviatohirsk Cave Monastery in the village of Dolina near Svyatohirs'k, Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Ukraine’s foreign ministry on Saturday responded to Iran’s acknowledgment that it had sent drones to Russia and warned the Islamic republic that the consequences of being involved in Russian crimes outweigh Moscow’s support.
Iran earlier on Saturday admitted for the first time that it had sent drones to Russia but claimed the shipment took place before Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after repeated denials by Tehran who has come under fire for allegedly aiding Russia invade its
“Tehran should realize that the consequences of complicity in the crimes of Russian aggression against Ukraine will be much larger than the benefits of Russia’s support,” Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Facebook.
Ukraine and Western countries have recently accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia, adding that the drones were used by Russian troops in the fight against Ukraine. Iran has repeatedly denied the claims.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed on Saturday that drones were supplied to Russia but stressed that the transaction had taken place before Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on his neighbor.
“We have provided Russia with a limited number of drones months before the war in Ukraine,” Amir-Abdollahian said, adding that he spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart recently and requested “any evidence that Russia has used Iranian drones in Ukraine.”
“The Iranian minister has spread insinuations about the Ukrainian side’s seeming refusal to meet with Iranian experts under pressure from Western partners,” Nikolenko added, further slamming the top Iranian diplomat after he claimed Ukraine pulled out of the meeting in a last-minute decision.
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