This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63528183
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Ukraine war: Kyiv warns Iran of consequences for supporting Russia | Ukraine war: Kyiv warns Iran of consequences for supporting Russia |
(32 minutes later) | |
A drone, believed to be Iranian, flies above Kyiv | A drone, believed to be Iranian, flies above Kyiv |
Kyiv has warned Iran that the "consequences" of supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine are greater than the "benefits". | Kyiv has warned Iran that the "consequences" of supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine are greater than the "benefits". |
It comes after Iran admitted for the first time it has supplied drones to Moscow, but only before the war began. | It comes after Iran admitted for the first time it has supplied drones to Moscow, but only before the war began. |
The West believes Russia has used Iranian "kamikaze" drones to hit key infrastructure sites in Ukraine, but Iran and Moscow previously denied it. | The West believes Russia has used Iranian "kamikaze" drones to hit key infrastructure sites in Ukraine, but Iran and Moscow previously denied it. |
Blackouts have hit much of Ukraine after the attacks on power stations. | Blackouts have hit much of Ukraine after the attacks on power stations. |
Western officials have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia and of providing personnel on the ground to train Russian drone pilots. | Western officials have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia and of providing personnel on the ground to train Russian drone pilots. |
Previously, Tehran denied the accusations, but on Saturday Iran's foreign minister said a small number of the vehicles had been sent to Moscow. | Previously, Tehran denied the accusations, but on Saturday Iran's foreign minister said a small number of the vehicles had been sent to Moscow. |
"We provided a limited number of drones to Russia many months prior to the Ukraine war," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in Tehran. | "We provided a limited number of drones to Russia many months prior to the Ukraine war," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in Tehran. |
Ukraine hit back, saying Iran's support for Russia would eventually backfire. | Ukraine hit back, saying Iran's support for Russia would eventually backfire. |
"Tehran should realise that the consequences of complicity in the crimes of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine will be much greater than the benefit of Russia's support," foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said. | "Tehran should realise that the consequences of complicity in the crimes of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine will be much greater than the benefit of Russia's support," foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said. |
The US, EU and UK have all imposed sanctions on Iran for supplying drones to Russia for use in the conflict. | The US, EU and UK have all imposed sanctions on Iran for supplying drones to Russia for use in the conflict. |
How is Russia using 'kamikaze' drones in Ukraine? | How is Russia using 'kamikaze' drones in Ukraine? |
Russia-Iran ties over Ukraine pose new dangers | Russia-Iran ties over Ukraine pose new dangers |
Russia has used the Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones - named after the Japanese suicide pilots in World War Two because they get destroyed on impact - to hit critical infrastructure sites across Ukraine. | Russia has used the Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones - named after the Japanese suicide pilots in World War Two because they get destroyed on impact - to hit critical infrastructure sites across Ukraine. |
As a consequence, rolling blackouts and restrictions on electricity use have been imposed just as the weather turns cold for winter. | As a consequence, rolling blackouts and restrictions on electricity use have been imposed just as the weather turns cold for winter. |
Some Western leaders have called the attacks "war crimes", because under the Geneva Conventions - which define the rules of war - civilian infrastructure cannot be deliberately targeted. | Some Western leaders have called the attacks "war crimes", because under the Geneva Conventions - which define the rules of war - civilian infrastructure cannot be deliberately targeted. |
On Saturday, Ukraine's national grid operator imposed further restrictions in some regions because electricity usage had grown compared to the same time last week. | On Saturday, Ukraine's national grid operator imposed further restrictions in some regions because electricity usage had grown compared to the same time last week. |
In other news: | |
Nato expansion | |
Sweden's new government will distance itself from the Kurdish YPG militia as it tries to win Turkey's approval to join Nato, Sweden's foreign minister, Tobias Billstrom, told Swedish Radio on Saturday. | |
Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and its political branch PYD to be extensions of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which launched an insurgency against Turkey in 1980 and is regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. | |
Sweden, the US and other Nato countries have supported the YPG in the fight against the Islamic State group. | |
However, Turkey has vowed to block Sweden's application to join Nato if it does not stop supporting the militia group. | |
Ukraine judge shot | |
A judge in occupied Ukraine has been shot and badly injured, in what appears to be an assassination attempt. | |
He has been named as Alexander Nikulin - who worked at the Russian-backed supreme court in the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk. | |
In June, he sentenced to death two Britons and a Moroccan, who had been captured while fighting in the Ukrainian army. | |
Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Brahim Saadoun were later released in a prisoner swap. | |
There have been a number of attacks on people working with the pro-Moscow authorities, with several of them killed. | |
Russia struggles to train conscripts | |
Britain's Ministry of Defence said that more than 300,000 Russian conscripts in Ukraine will have little impact on the war because Moscow is struggling to train them. | |
UK intelligence points out that many experienced Russian officers are either fighting, or dead, and there's a shortage of munition and facilities. | |
It says the conscripts will not offer Russia much help in its "offensive combat capability". | |
During a speech on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said nearly 50,000 new recruits were already fighting in Ukraine. |