Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in a war update on Monday that the government of Russia was allegedly offering Iran intelligence to help it more accurately target sites, presumably American or Israeli targets, in the ongoing war in the region.
Zelensky accused Russia, which has been engaging in a full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022, of “prolonging” the war between Iran and America and Israel by helping Iran use lethal force. In addition to strikes on Israel, Iran has targeted about a dozen neighboring countries since the United States announced Operation Epic Fury to erode the ability of the Iranian terror state to pose a threat to the world. Iran is the world’s most active state sponsor of terrorism, bankrolling groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.
“The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine delivered a report on the situation around Iran. There is growing evidence that the Russians continue to provide the Iranian regime with intelligence support,” Zelensky said in a nightly update on the invasion of his country. “This is clearly destructive activity and it must be stopped as it only leads to further destabilization.”
“By helping the Iranian regime stay afloat and strike more accurately, the Russians are effectively prolonging the war. There must be a response,” he asserted.
Ukrainian officials have for months accused Iran of mass-producing “Shahed” class suicide drones and selling them to Russia, citing as evidence their discovery, destruction, and capture of these drones in the Ukraine war theater. Since the current hostilities in Iran began with Operation Epic Fury on February 28, Zelensky has repeatedly warned that the Iranian-Russian alliance was a global threat that would also increase dangers for Ukrainians amid the invasion.
“The geopolitical situation has become more complicated due to the war against Iran, and unfortunately, this is emboldening Russia,” Zelensky asserted on Tuesday. “But the fundamental circumstances have not changed.”
“Russia continues this war and its destabilization of Europe, supports the Iranian regime with intelligence, and thereby prolongs the war in that region,” he added, “while also preparing for new conflicts in the coming years. This threat of constant war across the map must be stopped.”
The Ukrainian military announced in a summary that it had intercepted 365 drones on Monday, 250 of them identified as Iranian Shaheds. The Shahed is what is often described as a “kamikaze” drone or loitering munition, effectively a flying, remote-controlled bomb. Kyiv designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its most potent military arm, a terrorist organization in early February in response to its alleged involvement in the Russian invasion.
Iran has launched flurries of drone attacks against a growing list of neighboring states, most of them Arab Gulf countries, in the aftermath of Operation Epic Fury, which killed “supreme leader” Ali Khamenei on its first day. Countries with documented Iranian drone and missile strikes include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Iran has denied some of these strikes, most prominently those on Azerbaijan and Cyprus, despite the clear evidence of attacks.
Russia has been one of a small number of countries defending Iran during the current conflict, despite its friendly ties to countries such as Saudi Arabia. In remarks on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov complained that Iran was the victim of “harsh military aggression by the U.S. and Israel” and called for “the path of unity and balancing interests.”
“We are currently discussing all these issues and, of course, sharing our assessments and the evolution of our views with both the Iranians and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” Lavrov said.
Zelensky has repeatedly warned that the situation over the skies in the Gulf region could soon come to Europe. During a visit to London last week, he speculated that rapid advancement in drone technology could result in “a world where people live above the ground” no longer existing, as it would be safer to live “under concrete.”
“We must be ready for any kind of strike including from non-state actors, criminal networks, terrorist groups, and even lone attackers who can gain access to such technology,” he told European allies. “With the spread of drones, mass attacks no longer cost billions. It is no longer only a wealthy madman like Putin who can afford this, unfortunately.”
In other interviews regarding the Iran war, Zelensky has offered Ukrainian support to the United States, insisting that he would deploy Ukrainians to defend American citizens “without second thought.”
“Whenever it is possible for us to help defending civilians or U.S. nationals, without second thought we sent our teams,’’ he told the New York Post.
“I would like the U.S. not to perceive Ukraine as a country that merely asks for help. That is not the case. Ukraine is defending interests and values,” he explained. “Of course, the U.S. is right when it says it is farther from this war than Europe. That is understandable. But we see U.S. allies in the Middle East, and we see what — and who — threatens them.”
President Trump has dismissed help from Ukraine, telling reporters this month, “The last person we need help from is Zelensky.”
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