Ukraine Hits Iranian Cargo Vessel in Caspian Sea, Linking Wars
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has taken an interesting turn as Ukrainian forces have directly linked the wars in Iran and Ukraine. The incident occurred on Saturday when Kyiv's targeting of an Iranian cargo vessel in the Caspian Sea resulted in the sinking of the ship.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha dismissed Iranian threats of retaliation, stating that 'Iran's threats are unjustified and groundless.' He added that 'The regime in Tehran is a direct accomplice to Russian aggression against Ukraine, fuelling Moscow's criminal war with weapons that have killed Ukrainians since 2022.'
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said its drones had hit an oil platform in the northern Caspian Sea, along with a Russian missile boat and 'cargo ships that are under international sanctions.' The SBU also mentioned that the targeted vessels were carrying components for drones and missiles from Iran to Russia.
Iran's ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, said the 'Anna' ship had been anchored about 5km (3 miles) from the mouth of the Volga River when it was targeted. Kyiv has long accused Tehran of complicity in drone attacks which have killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians.
Ukraine's ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, said that targeting Iranian ships is an extension of Ukraine's targeting of networks supporting the Russian war effort.