Ukraine to Pursue Diplomatic Break with Iran over 'Russia Arms Affair'

Iranian Shahed-136 Used to Strike Key Ukrainian Cities Including Kyiv
US and International Community Warn Additional Sanctions Over Iran-Russia Weapon Collaboration

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, is attending a high-level UN Security Council meeting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the 77th UN General Assembly held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 22nd of last month (local time).
(Photo by Reuters)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Ukraine is pushing to sever diplomatic ties with Iran, which has supplied Russia with suicide unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). As the prolonged war has left Russia struggling with shortages of supplies, inexpensive Iranian-made suicide drones have become a new means of attack, acting as a major variable in the Ukraine war. The international community, including the United States, has announced additional sanctions against Iran, which is showing signs of a weapons alliance with Russia.

According to major foreign media on the 18th (local time), Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba formally proposed to President Volodymyr Zelensky the severance of diplomatic relations with Iran, which has supported suicide drones used in air raids on Kyiv.

At a press conference that day, Minister Kuleba stated, "We have secured extensive evidence that the weapons used in the Kyiv air raids are Iranian-made," adding, "Iran must take full responsibility for the breakdown of bilateral relations." He criticized, "Iran is lying by denying that it provided weapons to Russia for use in the Ukraine war," calling such actions "evil and deceptive."

The drones deployed by Russia in air raids that caused numerous civilian casualties in Kyiv and other cities are Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones, also known as "kamikaze drones." They have a cruising speed of 120 km/h, a maximum range of 700 km, and can carry a 40 kg warhead. Their destructive power is comparable to ballistic missiles, but their price is very low at $20,000 each.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Russia has used Shahed-136 drones to strike major cities including Kyiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv. Between the 17th and 18th, Ukrainian forces shot down 51 Shahed-136 drones. Analysts suggest that Russia, running low on war materials and resources, is increasingly relying on inexpensive Iranian drones.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released images of fragments of the Iranian-made Shahed-136 at bombing sites, noting that the drone's wingtip was labeled "Geran-2" in Russian instead of its original name to conceal its Iranian origin.

(Photo by Reuters)

On the 23rd of last month, after civilians were killed by Iranian-made drones operated by Russia, Ukraine downgraded diplomatic relations by stripping the Iranian ambassador stationed in Ukraine of his credentials and significantly reducing the number of Iranian diplomats in Kyiv.

At that time, President Zelensky also ordered the preparation of corresponding measures regarding the use of Iranian weapons in Ukraine.

Ukraine plans to send an official letter to Israel, which is hostile to Iran, requesting immediate air defense systems and strengthening cooperation in related fields. There has been no official response from Israel regarding this policy.

The West has strongly condemned Russia and Iran for indiscriminate air raids using Iranian drones as war crimes. The United States sanctioned an Iranian company responsible for transporting Iranian drones to Russia last month and is preparing additional sanctions related to Iranian drone transactions.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated that day, "There is extensive evidence that Russia has used Iranian drones against military and civilian targets in the Ukraine war," adding, "We will strongly enforce sanctions on arms transactions between Russia and Iran."

The United Nations also pledged support for Ukraine. On the same day, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attended a diplomatic and security conference held in Berlin, Germany, and announced, "NATO plans to deliver air defense missile systems to Ukraine within days to counter drone threats, including Iranian-made drones used by Russia."

He emphasized, "No country should support Russia's illegal war."

He also reiterated that allied countries must provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine to prevent Russia's indiscriminate attacks on infrastructure and other facilities.

Earlier, at the NATO Defense Ministers meeting, member countries agreed to deliver anti-drone equipment to Ukraine as part of NATO's comprehensive support package.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.