The European Union Take ADVANTAGE Of Intelligence To Collect Evidence Of Use Of Iranian Drones By Russia In Ukraine

Josep Borrell. (Wikimedia Commons/European Parliament)

JAKARTA - European Union top diplomat Josep Borrell on Monday said it had intelligence on Iran's drone transfer to Russia, ready to act if it found sufficient evidence of its use in Ukraine.

"Proved to exist," said the Head of the European Union's Foreign Policy on drone transfers, reported The National News, October 18.

"It has been provided by relevant intelligence services, including the Ukrainian intelligence service," Borrell continued.

"Ukraine are truly convinced that they are under this kind of attack and will continue to provide us with evidence for that purpose."

Russia stepped up attacks across Ukraine on Monday, cutting off electricity in hundreds of cities and killing eight people, including four in a kamikaze drone strike in the capital Kyiv.

Members of the United Nations Security Council (UN) of Britain and France said it was a violation of Tehran's obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said there was a consensus among EU countries that there should be sanctions against Iran if the investigation confirms its drones were used in Ukraine.

Borrell said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian "firmly denied to me personally that drones have been sent for use in the war in Ukraine".

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said ministers discussed possible ninth round sanctions against Russia but wanted to first examine the Iranian drone issue. "That could be a violation of UN resolutions," she said.

To note, analysts told The National that Iranian-made drones are difficult to intercept with ambulances.

"Some of these systems can be programmed before, so you can program them, for example, the coordinates of the GPS target into the drone and they find their way there," said Rafael Loss, coordinator of the pan-European data project at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

But another type of drone, which communicates with the control center for navigation and selection of their targets, could be disrupted by the help of the ambulance, he added.