Envoy Slams as Far-fetched Allegations of Russia’s Use of Iranian Drones in Ukraine

Vasily Nebenzya said Russia was aware that Kiev’s representatives had been unable so far to provide Tehran with any evidence through diplomatic channels confirming the use of Iranian-made UAVs by the Russian military

Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

UNITED NATIONS, December 20. /TASS/. Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya criticized as far-fetched on Monday accusations that his country was allegedly using Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine.

Addressing a UN Security Council meeting, Nebenzya said the story alleging that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been sending drones to Russia for use in Ukraine "has nothing to do" with work to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Tehran’s nuclear program, while it has been actively "promoted by [our] Western colleagues." Meanwhile, "such accusations are of an absolutely far-fetched and artificial nature," the Russian envoy added.

He said Russia was aware that Kiev’s representatives had been unable so far to provide Tehran with any evidence through diplomatic channels confirming the use of Iranian-made UAVs by the Russian military. "Despite this, the United States and the European Union consider it possible, on the basis of their own fabrications, to get the UN Secretariat drawn into this story without any reason and impose sanctions on Iranian and Russian legal entities and individuals," Nebenzya maintained.

He said it was noteworthy that the insinuations against Russia and Iran concerning drones could be heard exactly when the Vienna talks entered their final stage. "This shows who is seeking to find a diplomatic way out of the situation and who has been politicizing the discussions and keeps undermining the fundamentals of the JCPOA," the Russian diplomat concluded.

In 2015, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany signed the JCPOA with Iran in order to address the crisis around its nuclear program. In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump decided to pull out of the deal. Incumbent US leader Joe Biden has repeatedly indicated his support for reentering the nuclear agreement. Since last April, Russia, the UK, Germany, China, the US and France have been conducting discussions with Iran in Vienna on reviving the JCPOA in its original form.

In August, the Washington Post published a report alleging that Iran has been sending drones to Russia. The report was later followed by similar claims by the US administration. Moscow and Tehran have repeatedly rejected allegations of Russia’s use of Iranian drones in Ukraine Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov deemed such reports as bogus stories and assured that the Russian Army used Russian-made drones.