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Kyiv has severed diplomatic ties with Iran over its “evil” cooperation with Russia after at least eight Tehran-supplied drones were shot down by Ukrainian forces.
In an overnight address on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy said that Iran’s ambassador to Ukraine, Manouchehr Moradi, had had his accreditation revoked and the number of Iranian staff members allowed to stay at the Iranian embassy in Kyiv was “significantly” reduced.
The notice to remove the ambassador from his post was apparently handed over to the acting ambassador, as Moradi was not in Ukraine at the time of the decision, Portal reported.
“Today the Russian army used Iranian drones for their attacks. The world will know about every case of cooperation with evil, and there will be appropriate consequences,” said Zelenskyy.
The White House has accused Iran of giving away “several hundred” drones to Russia
In this photo made available by the Press Office of the President of Ukraine on Saturday, June 18, 2022, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a meeting with military officials as he visits the war-torn Mykolaiv region. (Press Office of the President of Ukraine via AP)
Ukrainian officials said samples collected on Friday confirmed that drones used to target Odessa and an area in central Ukraine north of Zaporizhia known as the Dnipropetrovsk region were made in Iran.
“Such actions by Iran are seen as a step against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as against the life and health of Ukrainian citizens,” spokesman for Zelenksyy’s office Serhiy Nykyforov said in a statement.
This undated photo released by the Ukrainian military’s Directorate of Strategic Communications shows the wreckage of what Kyiv has described as an Iranian Shahed drone shot down near Kupiansk, Ukraine. (Directorate of Strategic Communications of the Ukrainian Military via AP)
US sanctions against Iranian “individuals” involved in sending drones to Russia
The White House first announced in July that Iran would “gift” hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia as Moscow’s ability to build up its troops in Ukraine has waned.
Western defense officials later confirmed in September that Mohajer-6 and Shahed series drones were shipped from Tehran to Russia.
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Both series have apparently found their way to the front lines in Ukraine, as both were reportedly checked by officials on Friday.
The US has already sanctioned several people and entities involved in delivering and shipping the deadly drones to Moscow.
Caitlin McFall is a reporter at Fox News Digital. You can reach her at [email protected] or @ctlnmcfall on Twitter.