Iran is accomplice in russia's war crimes – Ukraine's foreign ministry
Supplying combat drones to the russian federation for strikes against Ukraine made Iran complicit in war crimes and terrorist attacks.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that in the last week alone, russia has carried out more than 100 strikes by Iranian kamikaze drones on residential buildings, power plants, sewage treatment plants, bridges, and playgrounds in Ukrainian cities. As a result, dozens of people, including children, were killed and injured. A third of Ukraine's energy infrastructure and two diplomatic institutions in Kyiv was also damaged.
"Providing weapons for waging a war of aggression in Ukraine and killing Ukrainian citizens makes Iran complicit in russia's crime of aggression, war crimes, and terrorist acts against Ukraine. We call on Tehran to immediately stop supplying russia with any weapons. Otherwise, Iran and its leadership will bear the most severe responsibility, including within international legal proceedings regarding russia's crimes against Ukraine," the statement said.
Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, addressed the heads of foreign affairs of the EU member states with a call to impose new sanctions on Iran. They become especially relevant amid reports of intentions to transfer surface-to-surface ballistic missiles to russia.
"Ukraine will take all available measures to protect the civilian population, sovereignty, and territorial integrity from external aggression implementing the inalienable right to self-defense per the UN Charter," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.
We will remind you that amid the drone attack, four people were killed as a result of a russian missile striking a residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv on the morning of October 17.
According to Ukrainian authorities, a pregnant woman is among people killed in a spate of "kamikaze" drone attacks targeting the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv and US intelligence say Moscow used weapons supplied by Iran, a claim Tehran vehemently denies.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked its allies to supply it with more air defense systems and ammunition after russia stepped up its use of "kamikaze drones" in its brutal assault against the country.
Kyiv says Moscow has recently used Iranian-supplied kamikaze drones in strikes against Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and other cities across Ukraine and pleaded with Western countries to step up their assistance in the face of the new challenge.
Drones have played a significant role in the conflict since russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February. Still, their use has increased since Moscow acquired the new drones from Iran over the summer.
