Zelensky Says Ukrainian Forces Shot Down Shahed Drones In Middle Eastern Countries During Iran War

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian subject unit person changeable down Iranian-designed Shahed drones successful aggregate Middle Eastern countries during nan Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, describing nan operations arsenic portion of a broader effort to thief partners antagonistic nan aforesaid weapons utilized by Russia successful Ukraine.

Zelensky made his first nationalist acknowledgment of nan operations Wednesday successful remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday. He said Ukrainian forces took portion successful progressive operations overseas utilizing domestically produced interceptor drones proven successful countering Iranian-designed Shahed drones utilized by Russia successful Ukraine.

“This was not astir a training ngo aliases exercises, but astir support successful building a modern aerial defense strategy that tin really work,” Zelensky said.

Ukraine took portion successful nan protect operations earlier nan tentative ceasefire successful nan Middle East was reached among Iran, nan United States and Israel this week.

Zelensky did not place nan countries progressive but said Ukrainian unit operated crossed respective nations, helping fortify their aerial defense systems. He antecedently said that 228 Ukrainian experts were deployed successful nan region.

In exchange, Ukraine is receiving weapons to protect its power infrastructure, on pinch oil, diesel and, successful immoderate cases, financial arrangements, he said.

The Ukrainian leader said nan agreements would bolster Ukraine’s power stableness and described nan partnerships arsenic thing that would “be marketed” arsenic Kyiv seeks to formalize and grow its defense export role.

“We are helping fortify their information successful speech for contributions to our country’s resilience,” he said. “This is acold much than simply receiving money.”

Ukraine will look much pressure

The disclosure comes amid concerns that conflict successful nan Middle East could divert Western subject support from Ukraine, peculiarly aerial defense supplies.

But Zelensky said that partners were continuing to proviso missiles for Patriot systems, adding that a caller batch had arrived successful caller days and that Ukraine was moving pinch each partners to guarantee its aerial defense remained successful place.

He warned that nan coming outpouring and summertime would beryllium difficult for Ukraine, pinch increasing governmental and battlefield unit arsenic nan United States turns to home authorities and elections.

Zelensky said he had urged U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to sojourn Kyiv and projected a trilateral format pinch Moscow. It remains unclear whether they will travel aliases if talks will alternatively return spot successful a 3rd country.

U.S.-led talks person made nary advancement connected cardinal issues, arsenic Washington’s attraction shifts to nan Middle East conflict while Russian and Ukrainian forces stay locked successful fighting on nan astir 800-mile beforehand line.

Separately, Zelensky said he expects Western friends to reconstruct afloat sanctions connected Russian oil, informing that immoderate easing could let Moscow to prolong its warfare effort and offload cardinal power assets. Russia has been profiting from a surge successful world power prices, brought connected by harm to lipid and state infrastructure successful nan Gulf and Iran’s blocking of nan Strait of Hormuz, a captious oversea way for world lipid supplies.

Ukraine has stepped up strikes connected Russian power sites to trim lipid revenues arsenic prices roseate and U.S. sanctions eased. Zelensky said partners had urged Kyiv to standard backmost attacks during Iran’s disruption of nan Strait of Hormuz, but he based on Russian lipid has a constricted effect connected world markets.

“I won’t opportunity who asked america to do this. But partners did inquire — it’s a fact. They asked astatine different levels, from governmental to subject leadership.”

Putin declares Easter truce and Ukraine fresh to reciprocate

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is fresh to reflector immoderate ceasefire steps aft Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a impermanent Easter truce.

“We projected a ceasefire during nan Easter holidays this twelvemonth and will enactment accordingly”, Zelensky said Friday connected X. “People request an Easter free from threats and existent activity toward peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to strikes aft Easter arsenic well”.

Putin connected Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire complete nan Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4 p.m. Saturday until nan extremity of Sunday.

Previous ceasefire attempts person had small impact, pinch some sides accusing each different of violations.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described Putin’s move arsenic a “humanitarian” gesture, but said Moscow remains focused connected a broad colony based connected its longstanding demands — a cardinal sticking constituent that has prevented nan 2 sides from reaching an agreement.

Peskov besides confirmed that Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is successful nan United States for meetings focused connected economical issues. He noted that Dmitriev is conducting nan meetings wrong nan model of a group connected economical issues that he has led, adding that he is not progressive successful nan talks connected nan warfare successful Ukraine and his travel “doesn’t mean nan resumption of nan talks.”

Dmitriev’s sojourn to nan U.S. comes conscionable earlier nan termination of nan 30-day sanctions waiver for Russian oil.

Yurchuk and Arhirova constitute for nan Associated Press.