Zelenskyy: first Shahed drones attacking Ukraine were launched by Iranian operators

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the first Shahed drones used by Russia to attack Ukraine were launched by Iranian operators because Russian operators still had to be trained.

Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference with Romanian President Nicusor Dan in Bucharest, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine

Details: Russia began attacking Ukraine with Shahed loitering munitions as far back as autumn 2022.

Quote: "We know how the first Shahed drones were launched. There were no Russian operators. There were operators from another country – the country the Shahed UAVs came from. Because they had to train them. And they trained them in a real war."

Background:

• Zelenskyy said on 10 March that Ukrainian security and counter-UAV experts will travel this week to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
• Zelenskyy said on 3 March that Ukraine has a shortage of PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defence systems so Kyiv is ready to exchange its interceptor drones for them.

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