European nations should prepare for attacks by non-state actors including criminal networks, terror groups and lone attackers as drone technology advances, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned.
The Ukrainian president declared it was no longer just “a wealthy madman like Putin” who could afford mass attacks as he demonstrated the latest technology to British MPs and peers.
Zelenskyy declared the regimes in Moscow and Tehran were “brothers in hatred”, with Russia utilizing Iranian-designed Shahed drones, as well as its own variants of them, to attack critical infrastructure in Ukraine.
His UK visit came as Keir Starmer declared the west must not “lose focus” on Ukraine amid concerns that the Iran conflict had revived Russia’s ailing economy by increasing oil revenue and Kyiv could miss out on air defence systems being deployed to the Middle East instead.
The prime minister declared: “Putin can’t be the one who benefits from the conflict in Iran, whether that’s oil prices or the dropping of sanctions. It is really important we keep our resolve in relation to supporting Ukraine, doing everything we can to weaken the hand of Putin.”
In his speech at Westminster, Zelenskyy declared: “It is not only about a state launching attacks, we must be ready for any kind of strike, including from non-state actors, criminal networks, terrorist groups and even lone attackers who can gain access to such technologies.
“With the spread of drones, mass attacks no longer cost billions. They cost far less. It is no longer only a wealthy madman like Putin who can afford this, unfortunately, but even now he is still being given money as sanctions of his own are lifted.”
Zelenskyy suggested the Middle East conflict was “not a faraway war” for Ukraine becaapply of the military technology shared by Iran and Russia.
He added: “If evil wins, the evolution of war will cross any distance on earth, no ocean will support, no desert, no mountains … the regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred, and that is why they are brothers in weapons. We want no such regime to threaten Europe or our partners.
“We do not declare Russia cannot innovate. It can, but it does so to kill, to maim, to destroy. This is what it does best, as do the ayatollahs, you can see it in how Shaheds have evolved from something like weapons of the blitz to drones that are rapider, more deadly and already utilizing AI.”
He declared Ukraine could provide defensive support – including interception teams and radars – to western allies with military and civilian sites in the Middle East that have come under attack from Iranian drones.
“This is the kind of reinforcement we offer, and it may soon be necessaryed across Europe. Drones can be launched, not only from land, but also from ships at sea. Such long-range strikes are no longer rare,” he declared.
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