Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday (local time) accused Russia of helping Iran in its war against the United States and Israel.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, “This morning, I was briefed that U.S. military facilities in the Middle East and the Gulf region were photographed by Russian satellites in the interests of Iran.”
Zelenskyy accuses Russia
In the tweet, Zelenskyy added that earlier this week, on 24 March, the Russian satellites imaged the US-UK joint military facility on Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean. He went on to accuse Russia of capturing pictures of Kuwait International Airport and parts of the infrastructure of the Greater Burgan oil field.
According to him, on 25 March, the Russian agency took pictures of the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The Shaybah oil and gas field in Saudi Arabia, İncirlik Air Base in Türkiye, and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar were all imaged on March 26th.
The Kremlin has rejected all allegations levelled by the Ukrainian President.
The Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia was targeted by the Islamic Republic on Saturday with ballistic missiles and drones, Politico reported, adding that at least 15 US troops were left injured in the attack.
EU diplomat accuses Russia
Zelenskyy’s accusations against Russia echo similar charges to those of the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas. Last week, Kallas accused Russia of assisting Iran with intelligence that has helped Tehran target US military assets in the Middle East. The diplomat said that Moscow’s support of Tehran shows why Europe needs to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin regarding the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy on Trump partially lifting sanctions against Russia
Weeks after the US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury and Operation Rising Lion, US President Donald Trump announced the partial lifting of sanctions against Russia, a move that did not sit well with Ukraine. The partial lifting of sanctions against Russia came after Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a decision which spooked the global energy markets and left countries at the mercy of Tehran.
Commenting on lifting sanctions, Zelenskyy said, “There are no Ukrainian facilities on this list. But who is helping whom when sanctions are lifted from an aggressor that earns daily revenue and provides intelligence for strikes against American, Middle Eastern, UK, and U.S.–UK bases and so on?”
He went on to say, “There must be pressure on the aggressor. And lifting sanctions is certainly not pressure. It looks strange. Sanctions are being lifted, while the aggressor is providing intelligence to strike facilities, including those of the countries that are discussing or have already lifted sanctions.”
Russia-Iran brothers in hatred: Zelenskyy
This is not the first time that Zelenskyy has spoken of Russia’s involvement in the war. Previously, he claimed that a long war between the US and Iran would benefit Russia. In an interview with the BBC, Zelenskyy noted how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is pushing energy prices higher, and countries could be forced to purchase more of Russian crude oil, despite sanctions. According to Zelenskyy, the long war would also benefit Russia, since the US resources are being deployed elsewhere, and Kyiv could see a shortage of missiles and weapons.
Zelenskyy, who was in the UK earlier this month, addressed parliament and noted that regimes in both Tehran and Moscow are “brothers in hatred,” and added that they are hence brothers in weapons.
