Ukrainian president accuses Russia of using Iranian combat drones

KYIV, Ukraine

Ukraine's president on Thursday accused Russian forces of using Iranian-made combat drones to attack Ukrainian cities.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis in the capital Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has recently intensified its attacks with missiles and Iranian-made combat drones.

"We also expect that Switzerland will support our steps in response to the complicity of Iran, which helps Russia terrorize our cities by sending combat drones," the Ukrainian president said.

Zelenskyy thanked the Swiss president for his country’s active role in European Union’s decision to impose sanctions following Russia’s annexation of some Ukrainian regions.

He went on to say that Ukraine has initiated a process at the UN to demand compensation from Russia for the attacks on his country.

"We agreed on close cooperation within the UN regarding Ukrainian initiatives to create a compensation mechanism and a special tribunal," he said.

For his part, Cassis said: "From the very beginning, Switzerland strongly condemned this Russian military aggression. We immediately developed concrete steps to support Ukraine.

"Switzerland is a neutral country, but this does not mean that we should not pay attention to what is happening in Ukraine," he added.

Cassis also expressed Switzerland's readiness to help find "war criminals" in Ukraine, and to assist in the search for Ukrainian citizens who went missing during the war.

“Switzerland will continue and, if necessary, intensify cooperation with international partners regarding the implementation of sanctions against the Russian Federation," he said.

Ahead of his meeting with Zelenskyy, Cassis visited the settlements in Kyiv affected by the ongoing war.

Switzerland has sent 5,500 tons of aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to Cassis.

Prior to the press conference, an agreement was signed between Ukraine and Switzerland in the field of digital transformation.

Following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February, Switzerland, long-known for its tradition of neutrality, joined the EU countries that imposed financial sanctions on Moscow.