Ukraine blames Iran for being 'complicit' in Russian drone strikes

MADRID, 18 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has accused Iran of being "accomplice" in Russian attacks with Iranian-made kamikaze drones on Ukrainian territory and has called on Tehran to stop supplying these devices to Russia.

"Supplying weapons for a war of aggression in Ukraine and to kill Ukrainian citizens makes Iran an accomplice in Russian criminal aggression. They are war crimes and terrorist attacks against Ukraine," kyiv said, according to a statement from the Ukrainian diplomacy.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dimitro Kuleba, has asked the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran for its "collusion with Russia".

Last week the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claimed that Russia had used Iranian drones as part of more than a hundred airstrikes on Ukrainian cities.

These attacks, according to kyiv, have damaged residential buildings, power plants, sewage treatment plants, bridges, playgrounds as well as other types of infrastructure and civilian facilities, leaving civilian casualties as well.

These drone launches have taken place in retaliation after the explosion of the Kerch bridge, on the Crimean peninsula, on October 8.

The bridge, also known simply as the Crimean Bridge, is considered to be an important logistics supply route for Russian forces in Crimea and southern Russian-occupied Ukraine. The structure, 19 kilometers long, includes a rail transport route and a motorway.

Inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, it is one of the most important infrastructure works on the peninsula since its incorporation into Russia in 2014 and is considered by Ukraine as a symbol of Russian occupation.