Ukraine denied on Wednesday the deployment of drones or specialized units in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, in a statement issued by its embassy in Baghdad. The response came to media inquiries regarding a report published by the Iranian "Tasnim" news agency on Tuesday, which spoke about the spread of drones and specialized Ukrainian units in countries surrounding Iran, including Iraq.
Refuting Iranian reports
The embassy described those reports as "completely baseless and representing deliberate deception." It stressed that Ukraine "has not deployed any drones or drone units or personnel associated with them, neither in the Kurdistan region nor anywhere else in Iraq." The embassy also called on the media to "exercise accuracy and refrain from circulating unverified claims."
Background of the Ukrainian-Iranian dispute
"Tasnim" had published on Tuesday a report citing an unnamed security source, who claimed that Ukraine had deployed specialized units and small drones in several countries surrounding Iran, including Iraq. The source specifically singled out the Kurdistan region for the deployment of thousands of drones, while refraining from naming the other countries mentioned, stating that details would be revealed later.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of a Ukrainian-Iranian disagreement regarding Russia's use of Iranian-designed drones in its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha previously indicated in April that his country had been subjected to attacks by Iranian "Shahed" drones. Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been waging a military offensive against Ukraine, and has made the cessation of the war conditional on Kyiv abandoning its accession to Western military blocs, which Kyiv considers "interference" in its affairs.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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