The Security Service of Ukraine announced that it has opened a criminal investigation into the supply of Iranian drones and missiles in Russia's war against Ukraine.
"Investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine have started criminal proceedings, which should establish all those involved in the supply to Russia of Iranian drones "Shahed-136" and "Mohajer-6", as well as short-range ballistic missiles "Fateh-110" and "Zolfaghar". According to the materials of the investigation, there is every reason to claim that representatives of the Iranian authorities and the defense-industrial complex are deliberately helping Russia in the war against Ukraine," the SBU reported.
As noted in the SBU, the purpose of the investigation is to establish by name the persons involved, the method and routes of transportation of these weapons and further bring the culprits to justice.
Proceedings were opened under Part 1 of Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (assistance to the aggressor state). The sanction of the article provides up to 12 years of imprisonment.
"Whoever helps Russia shell peaceful Ukrainian towns and villages should also bear responsibility for Russia's war crimes. Because you can't knowingly sell a maniac a sharpened knife, and then be surprised that he kills people. Therefore, Ukrainian law enforcement officers are now giving a legal assessment of such assistance to our enemy. Despite Russia's attempts to disguise "Shakheda" as "Gerani", we will prove their Iranian origin, including with the help of examinations. We are working on removing the masks from all war criminals and punishing them," said SBU head Vasyl Malyuk.
Since around mid-September, Russia has been conducting attacks in Ukraine using kamikaze drones, which the Ukrainian military says are Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones, which the Russian occupiers label as Geran-2. On September 23, the Mohajer-6 multi-purpose strike drone of Iranian production was shot down for the first time.
Only recently, Russia has struck more than a hundred Iranian kamikaze drones against residential buildings, power plants, sewage treatment plants, bridges and playgrounds in a number of Ukrainian cities. Dozens of people were killed and injured, including children. A third of Ukraine's energy infrastructure was affected. The buildings of two diplomatic institutions in Kyiv were damaged, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
At the same time, in 36 days, the Ukrainian military shot down 223 Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.
Due to Iran's supply of weapons to Russia for waging war, the Ukrainian side made a decision to revoke the accreditation of Iran's ambassador to Ukraine and to significantly reduce the number of diplomatic staff at the embassy in Kyiv.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has officially indicated that providing weapons for waging a war of aggression in Ukraine and killing Ukrainian citizens makes Iran complicit in Russian war crimes.
