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Ukraine says it shot down Iranian-made drone used by Russia

14.09.2022 12:30
Ukraine has said its troops have shot down an Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone used by Russian forces near the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
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Pixabay LicenseImage by Tayeb MEZAHDIA from Pixabay

The announcement by Ukraine's defence ministry on Tuesday marked the first time Kyiv claimed to have destroyed one of the devices, the Reuters news agency reported.

Ukraine and the United States have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia, something Tehran has denied, according to Reuters.

The Ukrainian defence ministry said the drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), had been "eliminated" near Kupiansk, a town in the Kharkiv region recently recaptured by Ukraine, Reuters reported.

"Russia and Iran: A perfect union of two despots," the Ukrainian defence ministry said in a tweet.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian this summer denied reports that his country was ready to provide Russia with hundreds of combat drones. 

He was quoted as saying at the time that Iran “avoids doing anything that might lead to further escalation in Ukraine, such as delivering weapons."

Meanwhile, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned in July that Iran could provide Russia with “up to several hundred UAVs,” including weapons-capable drones, according to reports at the time. 

Wednesday is day 203 of Russia's war on Ukraine.

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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, ISW