Yuriy Bielousov, a top official from the Prosecutor General’s Office, said on Jan. 21 on television that the agency had operative data and intelligence data from Ukrainian services and foreign services proving Russia and Iran’s partnership.
Bielousov added that law enforcement agencies are continuing to collect evidence proving Iran's involvement in the production and supply of drones to Russia, which it uses to attack Ukrainian cities.
“We will be able to prove all this in courts, and all these persons (involved) will be brought to justice,” he said.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Jan. 9 that Iran might be “contributing to widespread war crimes” by selling lethal drones to Russia for use in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
“Iran had chosen to go down a road where their weapons are being used to kill civilians in Ukraine and to try to plunge cities into cold and darkness, which from our point of view, puts Iran in a place where it could potentially be contributing to widespread war crimes,” Sullivan said.
On Jan. 6, the U.S. announced new sanctions against Iran’s aviation and defense sectors for supplying drones to Russia.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has scrambled to try to block Tehran from supplying the drones, many of which use Western-made parts.
However, it’s difficult to control these parts, many of which are widely available and have civilian applications.
Ukraine has shot down more than 500 drones launched by Russia since September, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
