"Iranians Involved in War Will Be Targeted," Warning
Evidence of Iran's War Involvement Continues to Emerge... Controversy Spreads
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Ukrainian military announced that it has eliminated Iranian instructors who were training Russian troops in the use of suicide drones in the Crimean Peninsula, reigniting controversy over Iran's involvement in the war. While the Ukrainian military has warned that Iranians involved in the war will be ruthlessly eliminated, Iran is reportedly rushing to transfer drone technology to Russia amid growing controversy over its war involvement.
On the 24th (local time), Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, "We have eliminated Iranian instructors who were training Russian troops in drone usage in the Crimean Peninsula. Those who cooperate with terrorists and participate in acts of destruction against our country must be killed," adding, "Iranians involved in the war will be targeted further in the future."
Although there have been intelligence reports inside and outside Ukraine that Iranian instructors were dispatched to Crimea and killed by Ukrainian forces, this is the first time a high-ranking official has publicly confirmed the matter. Western and Ukrainian intelligence agencies believe that instructors from Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been teaching Russian soldiers how to operate the controversial drones in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.
Secretary Danilov did not specify how many were killed or the exact circumstances but estimated that about ten Iranian instructors have been eliminated so far. Earlier, Israeli media outlet The Jerusalem Post reported, citing the Ukrainian National Resistance Center's tally, that more than ten Iranian instructors had been killed.
Danilov criticized the Iranian government supporting Russia, saying, "Iran insists it has never supplied weapons to Russia, but these things cannot be flown without learning how to use them," and added, "In the modern world, nothing can be hidden. It is only a matter of time before everything is revealed."
Meanwhile, since last month, Russian forces have been extensively using the Iranian-made suicide drone 'Shahed-136' in Ukraine, which Western countries have condemned as a 'war crime weapon.' The drone carries about 40 kg of explosives and causes damage by colliding with its target. Although its explosive power is not large, it inflicts significant damage on Ukraine's critical infrastructure and causes civilian casualties due to its relatively high accuracy.
Iranian authorities strongly deny involvement in the war and, to escape the controversy, are reportedly negotiating with Russia to transfer production technology for Iranian drones. According to CNN, Iranian officials have been negotiating since early this month to sign an agreement for drone technology transfer with Russia. CNN pointed out that Iran may demand nuclear weapon technology from Russia in exchange for transferring drone production technology.
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