- Ukrainian President urged Iranians to reconsider the supply of deadly drones to Russia.
- Iranian-made Shahed drones supplied to Moscow have played a major role in Russia’s attacks.
- Russia has boosted its military cooperation with Iran since it launched its invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
- Iran initially denied supplying Shaheed drones to Russia but later said it had provided a small number before the conflict began.
- US intelligence sources and Ukrainian officials have claimed that Iran had supplied Russia with several hundred drones.
- Iran has repeatedly rejected the claims that it had sent drones for use in Ukraine, saying it is neutral in the war.
Ukrainian President urged Iranians to reconsider the supply of deadly drones to Russia in order to stop their slide into “the dark side of history.” Iranian-made Shahed drones supplied to Moscow have played a major role in Russia’s attacks on cities and infrastructure, though Zelenskiy said Kyiv’s air defences were now skilled at downing them – about 900 of 1,160 aimed at Ukrainian targets.
“The simple question is this: what is your interest in being an accomplice to Russian terror?” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
“What is the benefit to Iran of such cynical killing? By Russian hands, but with your weapons, your weapons…Your Shaheeds, which terrorize Ukraine every night, mean only that the people of Iran are being driven deeper and deeper into the dark side of history.”
Russia has boosted its military cooperation with Iran since it launched its invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Iran initially denied supplying Shaheed drones to Russia but later said it had provided a small number before the conflict began.
The HESA Shahed 136 or Geran-2 in Russian service is an Iranian loitering munition in the form of an autonomous pusher-prop drone. It is designed and manufactured by Shaheed Aviation Industries.
The munition is designed to attack ground targets from a distance, fired in multiples from a launch rack (in batches of five upwards) to overwhelm air defences by consuming their resources during the attack. The first public footage of the drone was released in December 2021.
During the 2022 war in Ukraine, Russia used loitering munitions bearing the name Geran-2 against Ukraine. These Geran-2 drones are considered by Ukraine and its Western allies to be redesignated Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.
In the months prior to the confirmation of their use, US intelligence sources and Ukrainian officials have claimed that Iran had supplied Russia with several hundred drones including Shahed-136s, although Iran has repeatedly rejected the claims that it had sent drones for use in Ukraine, saying it is neutral in the war.
(With inputs from agencies)
