Russia uses Iran-made suicide drones to attack Ukrainian town near Kyiv

KYIV — One person was injured in an attack with Iranian-made drones in the town of Bila Tserkva southwest of Kyiv, the region’s governor said Wednesday.

“During the night, the enemy carried out strikes with Shahed-136 type kamikaze drones against Bila Tserkva,” governor Oleksiy Kuleba said on social media.

Kuleba said there were “six hits and explosions” in the town 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Kyiv, whose pre-war population was around 200,000.

“One person was injured. Several infrastructure facilities were damaged,” he said.

The Ukrainian army’s Operational Command South said on Telegram that it had shot down six drones of the same type during the night, without specifying their exact location.

Last month, Ukraine reported the first Russian attacks carried out using Iranian-made drones, but these have so far mainly targeted the south of the country, including the strategic city of Odesa on the Black Sea.

According to media, Iran has delivered hundreds of its drones to Russia despite warnings from Washington, a Kyiv ally.

Ukraine said that it would “significantly reduce” Iran’s diplomatic presence in retaliation to Tehran’s deliveries of drones to Moscow.

It removed the accreditation of the Iranian ambassador and said it is “significantly reducing” the Iranian Embassy’s diplomatic staff.

Tehran said the decision was “based on unfounded information, relayed by foreign media propaganda” against Iran.