Jul 28, Kathmandu - Ukraine has dismissed Iran’s retaliatory threats following a recent attack on an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, marking a significant development in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict and regional tensions involving Iran.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described Iran’s threats as baseless and inappropriate, emphasizing that Tehran has been directly supporting Russia with weapons since 2022 to aid its aggression against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Saturday that the long-range attack in the Caspian Sea was highly successful, targeting ships involved in transporting military supplies linked to Iran. According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), the drone strikes damaged a northern Caspian Sea oil platform, a Russian missile barge, and cargo ships carrying military equipment subject to international sanctions.

Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Gharibabadi, stated that at the time of the attack, the vessel Anna was anchored about five kilometers from the Volga River’s mouth. Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk, claimed that the ship was not carrying civilian cargo but was involved in transporting drones and missile components from Iran to Russia.

In an interview with Israeli media, Korniychuk highlighted that Ukraine and Israel are facing the same malevolent coalition, with Russia and Iran strengthening military ties in recent years. Iran has been supplying Russia with domestically produced Shahid drones since 2022, which Russia has modified to attack various Ukrainian cities. Zelensky recently alleged that Iran is also preparing to supply Russia with ballistic missiles, with reports indicating short-range missile deliveries began as early as 2024.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been increasing its efforts to bolster defenses by sending military experts to Gulf nations in recent months to counter Iranian drone attacks. The Caspian Sea is a crucial military and supply route between Russia and Iran. Ukraine has accused Iran of supplying drones that have caused the deaths of hundreds of Ukrainian civilians, though this incident marks the first direct attack targeting an Iranian vessel.

Following the attack, Iran reported one sailor’s death and several injuries, condemning the incident as a violation of United Nations charter and accusing Israel of inciting the attack to drag Europe into war. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed the strike was an act of open aggression and warned that Iran would respond.

In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Iran’s statements false and accused Iran of trying to divert international attention from Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukrainian ports and ships carrying grain.

In recent months, Ukraine has also targeted Russian oil tankers operating under false flags, aiming to weaken Russia’s economic resources through long-range attacks on strategic infrastructure. President Zelensky described this campaign as a prolonged effort to impose economic sanctions and disrupt Russian supply lines.