Zelenskyy: Iran has not yet provided Russia with missiles, but talks are ongoing

Tetyana Oliynyk — Monday, 28 October 2024, 21:42

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Iran has not yet provided Russia with missiles, although the two nations are in talks on this matter.

Source: Zelenskyy at a joint press conference with attendees of the fourth Ukraine-Nordic Summit

Quote: "They [Iran and Russia – Ukrainska Pravda] are engaged in an in-depth dialogue about missiles that Iran can provide to Russia. Based on the information we have, they have not provided missiles yet, but they are talking about it, and this is a reason for us to be concerned."

Details: The Ukrainian president also recalled that Iran is providing Russia with Shahed-type loitering munitions and has granted a licence for their production in Russia.

Background:

  • Western media reported that Iran had handed over short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. Some sources mentioned over 200 missiles.
  • Reuters, the first to report on the preparations for transferring ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia, suggested that the weapons in question might be the Fath-360 systems, capable of launching ballistic missiles with a maximum range of 120 km and a 150 kg warhead.
  • The White House National Security Council stated that if Iran transferred or intended to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia, it would represent a "dramatic escalation".
  • Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, acknowledged that Iran had supplied Russia with ballistic missiles, which the Kremlin needs to attack Ukraine.
  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed that he was seeking talks with Western countries over Russia's war in Ukraine and that he had never approved of Russia's aggression.

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