Zelensky to i24NEWS: ‘We want the world to stop Iran as quick as possible; Russia is giving Iran Shahed drones'
The Ukrainian president says Russia is likely supplying Iran with Shahed drones, signals readiness for dialogue with Netanyahu
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the international community to act quickly against Iran, warning of growing military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, in an exclusive interview with i24NEWS's sister Hebrew channel diplomatic correspondent Amichai Stein.
“We want the world to stop Iran as quickly as possible,” Zelensky told i24NEWS. The Ukrainian president said evidence from downed drones in the Middle East suggests Russian involvement in equipment used by Iran. “We saw some details from one of the Shaheds, which was destroyed in one of the countries in the Middle East. It was Russian details. So we know the Iranians didn't produce it.”
Zelensky also said the Shahed drones used today differ significantly from those deployed earlier in the war in Ukraine. “You can't even compare the first class Shaheed, which was at the very beginning of the war, and today's Shahed,” he said. “Each time when we changed the technologies, they of course had this experience, bloody experience on our people, on our land, and they attacked just civilians.”
According to Zelensky, the vast majority of the drones have been used against civilian targets. “99% of Shahed have been used against civilians,” he said, describing the impact of the attacks on Ukrainian population centers.
Watch the full interview here:
The Ukrainian leader also addressed his contacts with Israeli leadership during the current regional war. Zelensky said he has not yet spoken directly with Benjamin Netanyahu since the conflict began, though communication between the two sides has continued through official channels.
“No, we didn’t speak. The Israeli team is connected with us and said, What about speaking with the prime minister? My team said, ‘Yes, yes, yes, we are ready,” Zelensky said. Asked about his message to the Israeli leader, he added, “He has what I need, and I have what he needs. So I am ready for this dialogue. I think it's an important dialogue.”