“What is the benefit of…”: Zelensky criticizes Iran for sending drones to Russia

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy urged the Iranians on Wednesday to reconsider supplying Russia with deadly drones.

Kyiv:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday urged the Iranians to reconsider supplying Russia with lethal drones to stop its slide into “the dark side of history.”

Iranian-made Shahed drones supplied to Moscow have played an important role in Russia’s attacks on cities and infrastructure, though Zelenskiy said Kiev’s air defenses were now adept at shooting them down: about 900 of 1,160 were targeting Ukrainian targets.

“The simple question is this: what is your interest in being complicit in Russian terrorism?” Zelenskiy said in the late night video address of him.

“What is the benefit to Iran of such cynical slaughter? At Russian hands, but with their guns, their guns… Their Shaheds, terrorizing Ukraine every night, only means that the people of Iran are being pushed further and more towards the dark side of history”.

Russia has stepped up its military cooperation with Iran since it launched an invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

Iran initially denied supplying Shahed drones to Russia, but later said it had provided a small number before the conflict began.

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