Zelensky: Ukraine Not Afraid of Iran Threats as Drone War ‘Tested’ on Kyiv Spreads Globally

March 18 ------ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine is not intimidated by Iranian threats and is warning that the drone warfare now destabilizing the Middle East was first developed and refined through years of attacks on Ukrainian cities. “Nothing new,” Zelensky said when asked about Tehran’s warnings toward Ukraine. “We don’t [fear] any kind of such messages… We live with such messages each day.”

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Zelensky revealed how Russia’s use of Iranian-made Shahed drones evolved from limited strikes into a large-scale campaign that he says effectively turned Ukraine into a testing ground for increasingly advanced and lethal systems. “Ukraine was kind of an experimental place for these drones in the end,” he said. “You can’t even compare the first class [of] Shahed… and today’s Shahed.”

Zelensky said Ukraine had tried early on to prevent Iran from supplying Shahed drones to Russia, warning Tehran directly that the weapons would be used against civilians. “We asked them not to give weapons because otherwise, if they give them weapons, like Shahed, they will kill our civilians,” he said, adding that Kyiv warned Iran: “‘And you will be allies.’”

According to Zelensky, Iranian officials denied they were truly siding with Moscow and downplayed the scale of the transfers. “They said that ‘Okay... we are not allies in this,’” he recalled. He said Iran claimed the deliveries would be limited: “‘We sold Russians this part of Shaheds, and it will be 1,200 or 1,300, and that’s all.’” “But it was not true. They lied, of course,” Zelensky added.

According to Zelensky, Ukraine endured sustained drone barrages for years, with waves reaching hundreds per day. “We had 350 or 500 Iranian drones, Shaheds, each day, each day and night,” he said, describing a level of intensity that allowed both Russia and Iran to continually refine the weapons. He argued that these improvements came at a high cost to Ukrainian civilians, with drones used less for battlefield impact and more as tools of terror. “Each time when we changed the technologies, they of course had this bloody experience, on our people, on our land,” Zelensky said. “Mostly, they use 99% of Shahed… to make practice on civilians.”

Zelensky said Iran’s involvement extended far beyond supplying drones. He accused Tehran of helping Russia establish domestic production, including providing licenses, technical expertise, and direct support. “They gave licenses on production,” he said. “And they created and helped them build two factories.” At the same time, he believes the cooperation has become reciprocal, with Russia now helping Iran improve its own drone capabilities. Asked directly whether Moscow is transferring upgraded technology back to Tehran, Zelensky responded: “Yes, I’m sure.” He pointed to evidence recovered from a downed drone in the Middle East that allegedly contained components not produced by Iran. “We saw some details. It was Russian details. We know it because Iranians didn’t produce it,” he said.

Source: kyivpost.com