Zelenskyy: Iran, North Korea already attacked Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Iran is already effectively involved in the war against Ukraine through its supply of Shahed drones and production technology to Russia.

In an interview with Sky News, Zelenskyy was asked whether Tehran’s threats raised the possibility of a direct Iranian attack on Ukraine. He said such an attack had already taken place in another form.

"And what do you think if Iran from the first year of the war gave new page, new technology to Russia, it was Shahid drones. They gave thousands of these drones. First year of the war, then they gave licenses. What did they do? Did they attack us? I think yes," he said.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was seeking to avoid opening a new front and was acting cautiously, but argued that the involvement of Iran and North Korea in the conflict could not be ignored.

"Iranians and North Koreans already attacked us," the president said.

He said both countries had supplied Russia with drones, missiles and 155-mm artillery shells during the Russian invasion, while North Korea had also deployed 10,000 troops to support Moscow, according to his account.

"We can't trust these people," Zelenskyy concluded.

He added that Ukraine also needed to prepare for the possibility that such threats could intensify.

The comments came amid heightened tensions between Kyiv and Tehran. Iran has accused Ukraine of striking a ship in the Caspian Sea, an attack it said killed one sailor and injured another.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Tehran would respond, describing the strike as a gross violation of the UN Charter that he said was carried out at Israel’s direction with the aim of drawing Europe into the conflict.

By Sabina Mammadli