Russia helped sharpen Iran’s deadly drones, Zelenskyy warns

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of helping Iran improve its Shahed drones after first deploying them extensively in Ukraine, warning that the threat now confronting the Middle East has been shaped by years of attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Zelenskyy said Ukraine effectively became a testing ground for the Iranian-made drones, which were used in large-scale, sustained assaults. 

“We had a terrible experience with these drones,” he said. “We had 350 or 500 Iranian drones, Shaheds, each day, each day and night.”

“Ukraine was kind of an experiment place for these drones in the end,” he added. “You can’t even compare the first class [of] Shahed, what was at the very beginning of the war, and today’s Shahed.” 

Zelenskyy described the evolution of the Russia-Iran military partnership, claiming it began with Tehran supplying drones to Moscow and later expanded into mutual cooperation. He said Ukraine had initially warned Iran not to provide such weapons. “We asked them not to give weapons because otherwise, if they will give them weapons, like Shahed, they will kill our civilians,” he said. “‘And you will be allies.’”

According to Zelenskyy, Iranian officials downplayed their involvement. “They said that ‘Okay... we are not allies in this,’” he recalled, adding that Tehran claimed it had only supplied a limited number. “But it was not true. They lied, of course.”

He alleged Iran supported Russia beyond deliveries, including licensing production and assisting in building facilities. “They gave licenses on production,” he said. “And they created and helped them build two factories.”

Zelenskyy also asserted that Russia is now reciprocating. “Yes, I’m sure,” he said when asked whether Moscow is providing Iran with improved drone technology. He cited evidence from a downed drone in the Middle East. “We saw some details. It was Russian details. We know it because Iranians didn’t produce it.”

He warned that drone warfare is entering a new phase, with Russia shifting toward mass production of cheaper systems. “They will go to the cheaper and cheaper drones, but to have hundreds of thousands of these drones,” he said.

Zelenskyy emphasized that such weapons were refined through repeated use against civilians. “You can’t get to a new version without using thousands of them,” he said, adding that “mostly, they use 99% of Shahed… to make practice on civilians.”

The strategy, he argued, is to spread fear and destroy infrastructure. “They want to kill as many civilians as possible,” he said, warning of attacks targeting electricity, water, and energy systems.

Looking ahead, Zelenskyy cautioned that “it will be very hot” in the Middle East, while offering Ukraine’s assistance. “We are ready,” he said, noting that Ukrainian experts have already been deployed to help countries strengthen air defences.

“He has what I need and I have what he needs,” Zelenskyy added, referring to potential cooperation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

By Vafa Guliyeva