Russia, Iran Defiant As West Presses Sanctions Over Drones In Ukraine

Russia on Wednesday warned the United Nations not to probe alleged strikes by Iranian-made drones in Ukraine, joining Tehran in denying the weapons' origin as the European Union prepared new sanctions. The United States, France and Britain called a closed-door Security Council meeting on the alleged sale of drones to Russia, which they described as a violation of UN arms restrictions on Iran. The European Union and United States both said they had evidence that Iran supplied the Shahed-136s, low-cost drones that explode on landing and are blamed for five deaths Monday in the capital Kyiv as well as for the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Ukraine, which has moved to sever diplomatic relations with Tehran, says its military has shot down more than 220 Iranian drones in little more than a month and pictures have surfaced that appear to show an Iranian link. But Russian diplomat Dmitry Polyanskiy denounced the "baseless accusations and conspiracy theories," citing as evidence that the Russian word for geraniums was written on the drones, formally known as unmanned aerial vehicles.