Russia and Iran remain stubborn, despite UN pressure over Ukraine drones

• Russia warns the UN against looking into the use of drones in Ukraine.
• Ukraine claims its military has shot down more than 220 Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often known as drones.
• The U.S., France, and UK summoned a Security Council meeting behind closed doors to discuss drones.

In response to claims that its use of drones in Ukraine violated UN arms embargoes on Iran, Russia has warned the UN against looking into the use of drones in Ukraine.

In response to the attack on Kyiv on Monday that left at least five people dead and severely damaged power plants and other civilian infrastructure, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom summoned a Security Council meeting behind closed doors to discuss the use of drones.

In a little more than a month, Ukraine claims its military has shot down more than 220 Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often known as drones. Ukraine has asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to visit Ukraine to view some of the debris it has gathered.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, declared the weapons were produced in Russia after the Security Council meeting on Wednesday. He also denounced “baseless charges and conspiracy theories.”

He urged Guterres and his team to “refrain from conducting any unauthorized probe. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll have to reevaluate our partnership with them, which isn’t really in anyone’s best interests,” he told the press.

The US and the EU claim to have proof that Iran sold Russia inexpensive drones called Shahed-136s that detonate upon landing. Washington claims that any shipment of arms violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231, a provision of the now-defunct Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 agreement to restrain Iran’s nuclear activities and stop the nation from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Tehran denies providing the drones to Russia, and earlier this week, in response to Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba’s suggestion that Kiev should sever diplomatic ties with Tehran, said it was prepared for “conversation and negotiation with Ukraine to dispel these claims.”

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s UN representative, rejected on Wednesday the “unfounded and unsubstantiated claims” regarding the drone transfers and stated that Tehran, which has voted against the war, wanted a “peaceful resolution” to the conflict, which started on February 24 when Russia sent troops into Ukraine.

Iravani called on Guterres to “avoid any misuse” of the resolution and UN authorities on matters pertaining to the Ukraine war, claiming that Ukraine’s invitation “lacks any legal base.”

He said, “Iran is of the firm view that none of its weaponry exports, including UAVs to any country,” contravene resolution 2231.

According to the 2015 agreement, Iran was subject to a conventional arms embargo until October 2020.

But Ukraine and its supporters in the West counter that the resolution can still include prohibitions on the sale and acquisition of cutting-edge military systems like drones as well as limits on missiles and related technologies until October 2023.

Guterres has a “clear mandate twice a year to report on all these things and to make technical assessments, therefore I think the UN secretariat will have to go and will go,” according to French UN Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere.

The Security Council receives updates from Guterres twice a year on the implementation of the 2015 resolution, typically in June and December. In that report, any evaluation of the drones in Ukraine would likely be included.

UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated on Wednesday that “as a matter of principle, we are always ready to study any information and analyze any information provided to us by Member States.”

Prior to a session that begins on Thursday in Brussels, the EU is anticipated to approve sanctions regarding drones.

According to a list obtained by the AFP news agency, the 27-nation alliance would take action against three senior military figures, including Iran’s army chief of staff General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri and a drone manufacturer with ties to the Revolutionary Guards, Shahed Aviation Industries.

Josep Borrell’s spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said the EU had “gathered our own information” and was preparing “a clear, rapid and robust EU response.”

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