Russia 'categorically rejects' claims about using Iranian UAVs: Envoy
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia says his country hopes the UN Secretariat will not yield to pressure from certain member states.
-
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia speaks at UN headquarters in New York, on February 28, 2022 (AFP)
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia affirmed on Friday that Russia rejects allegations by Western states that it has been using Iranian drones in Ukraine.
"This is not the first time that we are hearing allegations about us using Iranian drones in Ukraine. We categorically rejected these baseless allegations," Nebenzia stressed.
The Russian diplomat said his country hopes the UN Secretariat will not yield to pressure from certain member states regarding allegations that Russia is using Iranian drones in Ukraine.
"We expect the Secretariat to strictly abide by its mandate and not to yield to pressure exerted by some states," he said.
In a related context, the European Union added four Iranian organizations to the list of entities directly supporting Russia's military and industrial complex, accusing them of allegedly supplying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Moscow.
"The list includes four Iranian entities manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and providing them to Russia," the European Council claimed in a statement.
In total, 87 entities from different countries were added to the sanctions list of the European Union.
Ukraine and its Western allies have long been accusing Iran of supplying drones to Russia in the midst of the war. However, Iranian and Russian officials have repeatedly slammed the allegations as false.
