Mentions Russia Using Iranian-Made Drones, Ukrainian President Zelensky: The Country Is Bankrupt, Heading For Defeat

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the Commemoration of Ukrainian Defenders' Day. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia politically and militarily bankrupt, along with the use of Iranian-made drones to attack his country.

Using Iranian weapons is an acknowledgment of Moscow's failure, after decades of funding the Soviet Union and post-Soviet defense industries, he added.

"Let's remember, the fact that Russia has asked for help from Iran is an acknowledgment by the Kremlin that the country is bankrupt militarily and politically," President Zelensky said in an evening video address.

"For decades, they spent billions of dollars on their own military-industrial complex. And in the end, they bowed to Tehran to secure drones and missiles which were quite simple," President Zelensky continued.

President Zelensky further said the use of weapons might give rise to hopes and illusions among Russian leaders, but would still not help.

"This will only show the world once again that Russia is headed for defeat and is trying to drag one of its accomplices into this terror," he said.

Ukraine says Russia's latest attack on infrastructure relied on the Iranian-made Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drone. President Zelensky said the latest attack had left 30 percent of Ukraine's power plants out of service.

Meanwhile, Iran vehemently denies supplying unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia, a statement Washington says is untrue. The Kremlin on Tuesday said it had no information about whether Iranian 'kamikaze' drones were used or not.