Iranian troops sent to Crimea to train Russians to use drones, says US
Oct 21, 2022
Washington [US], October 21 : The US alleged that Iranian military personnel have visited the the Crimea where Russian military personnel have been piloting the Tehran's drones which is targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
John Kirby, the communications coordinator at the National Security Council, said, "We can confirm that Russian military personnel that are based in Crimea have been piloting Iranian UAVs, using them to conduct strikes across Ukraine, including strikes against Kyiv," according to CNN.
He further said that the presence of Iranian personnel was evidence of Tehran's direct engagement in the conflict.
"Iranian military personnel were on the ground in Crimea and assisted with these operations," Kirby said. "Russia has received dozens of UAVs so far and will likely continue to receive additional shipments in the future."
He further said that Tehran is now directly engaged on the ground and through the provision of weapons that are impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, CNN reported.
He said the Russians weren't familiar with the use of the drones, and needed help from the Iranian personnel to use them.
This statement came after the three explosions that were heard in Kyiv at around 6.45 am (local time on Monday. US would set aside its efforts to renegotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, both because of its involvement with Russia's military, Kirby indicated, according to CBC.
And also Irans brutal crackdown on protesters following the September death of a woman who was arrested in Tehran for "inappropriate attire" is also the reason behind the renegotiation of nuclear deal.
Meanwhile, following Russia's attack on Ukranian capital with Iranian-made Kamikaze drones, Washington said that it will hold Moscow accountable for "war crimes" and will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression.
US President Joe Biden's press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters "The White House "strongly condemns Russia's missile strikes today," Al Jazeera reported.
Jean-Pierre further noted that the US will continue to aid the people of Ukraine as she referred to a new USD 725m military aid package announced for Ukraine last Friday.
"More desperate and reprehensible Russian attacks this morning against civilians and civilian infrastructure. We admire the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people. We will stand with you for as long as it takes," the US embassy in Ukraine tweeted.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has only escalated after a truck recently exploded on the Crimea road bridge, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. Three people were killed in the blast, which also led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge.
The Crimean Bridge was opened in 2018 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, four years after Moscow annexed Crimea, and was designed to link the peninsula to Russia's transport network.
