President warns of expanding threats while Kyiv seeks to avoid a new front
KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Iran and North Korea have effectively already attacked Ukraine through their military support for Russia, as tensions between Kyiv and Tehran escalate following a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.
In an interview with Sky News on July 27, Zelenskyy was asked whether he was concerned about potential Iranian retaliation after Ukraine’s recent long-range strike on a commercial ship in the Caspian Sea. The president responded bluntly that Iran had attacked Ukraine long ago.
“We have to be cautious. We have to do everything not to open a new front in any way. But we have to be honest. Iranians and North Koreans already attacked us,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader pointed to Iran’s supply of Shahed drones to Russia at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and the subsequent provision of production licenses. “They gave thousands of these drones in the first year of the war. Then they gave licences. What did they do? Did they attack us? I think yes. So they already did it,” he stated.
Zelenskyy also cited North Korea’s transfer of weapons, military technology, and personnel, including approximately 10,000 troops deployed to support Russian operations.
Caspian Sea Strike Sparks Diplomatic Crisis
The interview came two days after Zelenskyy announced on July 25 that Ukrainian forces had achieved “very strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea” against vessels used to transport military cargo from Iran. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said drones hit a Russian missile boat called the Molnyia, along with two cargo ships under international sanctions that were used to transport military cargo between Iran and Russia.
Iran reacted furiously, accusing Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in Russia’s territorial waters of the Caspian Sea, leaving one crew member dead and several others injured. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the attack an “act of aggression” and warned that such actions “cannot go unanswered”. He directly addressed President Zelenskyy, saying Iran reserves the right to defend its interests.
Tehran described the attack as a “blatant United Nations Charter violation done at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war”. Iran has since sent a note to the International Maritime Organization demanding condemnation of the attack and has demanded compensation from Ukraine.
North Korean Troop Build-Up
Zelenskyy also warned that Russia is preparing to receive another 30,000 troops from North Korea. “Since June, preparations have been underway in Russia’s Voronezh region to receive them,” he said in his nightly address on July 25.
The president added that North Korea is preparing to transfer additional ballistic missile launchers to Russia. “Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons, and gain real combat experience in using them. All of this is a threat to everyone in Asia who is within range of North Korean missiles,” Zelenskyy warned.
North Korea has become one of Russia’s key military partners since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukraine has said around 12,000 North Korean soldiers participated in Russia’s 2024 counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast.
Diplomatic Efforts to De-escalate
Despite the tough rhetoric, Kyiv is seeking to avoid further escalation. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on July 28, describing it as a “frank conversation”. Sybiha emphasised “the necessity to refrain from any escalatory steps” and told Araghchi that all of Ukraine’s actions were aimed solely at defending the country from Russia’s aggression.
“Our position remains unchanged,” Sybiha said. “Europe and the Middle East deserve stability, security, and peace”.
However, Ukraine has not backed down from its assessment of Iran’s role. Sybiha posted on X: “The regime in Tehran is a direct accomplice to Russian aggression against Ukraine, fuelling Moscow’s criminal war with weapons that have killed Ukrainians since 2022”.
A New Front in an Expanding Conflict
The Caspian Sea strike marks a significant escalation in Ukraine’s campaign to disrupt Russian supply lines. Experts suggest the operation sends a clear message that Ukraine will not tolerate aggression regardless of its origin.
“I suspect these types of operations will make shipping between Russia and Iran across the Caspian increasingly difficult,” said Luke Coffey, a Russia expert at the Hudson Institute.
However, analysts caution that Iran’s ability to retaliate militarily against Ukraine is limited. “Tehran is clearly angry, but it has very limited ability to project military power against Ukraine,” said Saeid Golkar, an expert on Iran’s military at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. “If it decides to respond, I’d expect something indirect such as cyber operations, intelligence activity, support for Russian operations, or possibly targeting Ukrainian interests abroad”.
Zelenskyy acknowledged the risks. “I hope that they will not increase these attacks, but we have to be ready for everything. And to know that we can’t trust these people,” he said.
