KyivUkraine is shooting down 85% of Iranian-made ‘kamikaze’ drones fired by Russia but needs allies’ support to stop Tehran from selling ballistic missiles to Moscow, a spokesman said on Friday of the Air Force.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and cities since Oct. 10, using missiles and what Kyiv says are Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones.
Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said Ukraine’s air defenses were proving increasingly effective against drones, but said they were less effective against missiles .
“If we take the last two weeks and the results of the destruction of the drones, our air defense is 85% effective,” Ihnat said during a briefing. “Now we have learned to recognize them and take them down more effectively.”
Tehran denies supplying Shahed-136 drones to Moscow and the Kremlin denies that its forces used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. But two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters that Iran had promised to supply Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to additional drones.
“Ukraine currently does not have effective air defense systems against ballistic missiles. Iran will likely provide them (to Russia) unless the world finds a way to stop it,” he said. Ihnat.
The United States rejected Iran’s denial that it sold the drones to Moscow and said Iranian military trainers were in annexed Crimea to help Russian forces operate the drones.
Ihnat said it was up to Ukrainian and Western intelligence, but added: “Obviously they are there, for me personally. They teach and maybe even participate in military actions.”
Ukraine has been aided by the delivery of sophisticated air defense systems from allies, including the first of Germany’s four IRIS-T air defense systems.
“One of these systems is already working in Ukraine. The only thing is that obviously we can’t say where it is and how it works,” Ihnat said. “Iris proved to be very useful, and its capability has been proven under military conditions.”
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and cities since Oct. 10, using missiles and what Kyiv says are Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones.
Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said Ukraine’s air defenses were proving increasingly effective against drones, but said they were less effective against missiles .
“If we take the last two weeks and the results of the destruction of the drones, our air defense is 85% effective,” Ihnat said during a briefing. “Now we have learned to recognize them and take them down more effectively.”
Tehran denies supplying Shahed-136 drones to Moscow and the Kremlin denies that its forces used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. But two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters that Iran had promised to supply Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to additional drones.
“Ukraine currently does not have effective air defense systems against ballistic missiles. Iran will likely provide them (to Russia) unless the world finds a way to stop it,” he said. Ihnat.
The United States rejected Iran’s denial that it sold the drones to Moscow and said Iranian military trainers were in annexed Crimea to help Russian forces operate the drones.
Ihnat said it was up to Ukrainian and Western intelligence, but added: “Obviously they are there, for me personally. They teach and maybe even participate in military actions.”
Ukraine has been aided by the delivery of sophisticated air defense systems from allies, including the first of Germany’s four IRIS-T air defense systems.
“One of these systems is already working in Ukraine. The only thing is that obviously we can’t say where it is and how it works,” Ihnat said. “Iris proved to be very useful, and its capability has been proven under military conditions.”
