Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday that Ukrainian air defense systems took out all 36 Iranian drones launched by Russian forces in an overnight attack.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that the drones were targeted at critical infrastructure and military facilities across the country, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said made for an “uneasy night.”
In a statement published on Telegram, Zelenskyy also said that Russia continues to “terrorize” Ukraine with drone strikes, and thanked his nation’s air defense forces for a “100% result.”
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also issued a statement on Twitter, noting that the drones used in the attempted strikes were both Shahed 131 and 136 models.
“Last night, russian terrorists used “Shahed-131/136″ kamikaze drones to launch another massive attack on Ukraine. 36 of the 36 UAVs were shot down. The Ukrainian Air Defense Forces have done an excellent job!” the post reads.
The head of the Kyiv military administration confirmed that the nation’s capital city was one of the targets of the attempted drone attack on Wednesday night, adding that it was the 12th such attack on the city in just the last month.
Zelenskyy Appeals to the People Of Iran
In his nightly address on Wednesday, May 24, the Ukrainian president issued an appeal to the people of Iran, asking them not to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Addressing “ongoing” drone strikes in Ukraine using Iranian-made drones, Zelenskyy said that those who support the use of Iranian drones in Ukraine were complicit in “evil.”
“Today, given that such attacks are ongoing, I would like to directly address the people of Iran. To everyone – to society, Iranian ulemas, every Iranian family, and those who can influence state decisions in Iran. Simple question: why are you complicit in Russian terror? Why are you on the side of an evil state?” Zelenskyy asked in the clip.
“The world sees what is happening, and all of you in Iran see it. Support for evil cannot be denied.”
Zelenskyy also asked the Iranian people whether they would like to see the same destruction in their own country, citing a story of a pregnant Ukrainian woman and her husband being killed by an Iranian drone in their home.
“Why does Iran need such cynical killings? By the hands of Russia, but with yours and your weapons,” he continued.
What do you people in Tehran, Shiraz, Saqqez, or any other city in your country get out of it?”
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
