July 28 (Reuters) — Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on Tuesday that he contacted his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, after Tehran condemned a Ukrainian drone attack on one of its ships. Sybiha warned against any escalation and called for an end to all support for Russia. “I stressed the importance of refraining from any escalatory actions and putting a stop to any assistance for Russia’s war against Ukraine. This war is illegal and must end,” Sybiha stated in a post on X.
Iran confirmed that the conversation took place.
Araqchi said on Sunday that the Ukrainian strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, which killed one sailor and injured another, “cannot go unanswered.”
Sybiha responded that Ukraine’s actions were “aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people.”
Over more than four years of conflict with Russia, Ukraine has weathered repeated strikes from Iranian-made drones. During this period, Kyiv has developed advanced counter-drone technology and has extended its assistance to Middle Eastern nations that have faced similar attacks launched by Tehran this year.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also took to X, writing that he had consulted with Sybiha and “discussed the challenges facing our nations, including the threat posed by Iran.” He expressed his desire to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.