Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented what he described as irrefutable evidence that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran during the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign, warning that Moscow is effectively prolonging the war and destabilising global energy markets in the process.
Speaking after receiving a briefing from the Chief of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence directorate, Oleh Ivashchenko, Zelensky said the Russians are using their signals intelligence and electronic intelligence capabilities, as well as data obtained through their partnerships with other actors in the Middle East, to assist the Iranian regime.
“This is clearly destructive activity and it must be stopped, as it only leads to further destabilisation,” Zelensky said. “By helping the Iranian regime stay afloat and strike more accurately, Russia is effectively prolonging the war. There must be a response.”
The disclosure is the latest in a series of escalating allegations about Russian involvement. The Washington Post reported earlier this month, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence, that Russia has been providing Iran with targeting information to strike American forces in the Middle East, making Moscow the first major US adversary to participate even indirectly in the war. Zelensky told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on March 14 that his intelligence indicated Russia had also supplied Iran with drones used in the conflict.
The issue briefly surfaced in diplomacy between Washington and Moscow. US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff said Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the intelligence-sharing reports during a conversation with President Donald Trump, after which Trump himself suggested that Russia was “somewhat helping Iran.”
On the same day as Zelensky’s address, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, with Moscow’s foreign ministry saying the two discussed what it called US-Israeli aggression in the Persian Gulf. The Kremlin has consistently dismissed all reports of intelligence coordination with Tehran as fake news.
Zelensky also used Monday’s address to commend Ukrainian forces for their recent strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, describing the facilities as a critical source of funding for Moscow’s war effort, and warned that intelligence reports suggested Russia may be preparing a significant offensive against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president urged all states to treat the intelligence-sharing issue as a matter of collective security, saying that markets were already reacting negatively and that the fuel situation in many countries was being significantly worsened as a result.
