Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a recent interview with Israeli outlet i24NEWS that Russia is providing Iran with drone technology, as tensions rise following Iranian warnings that Ukraine has become a “legitimate target” due to its support for Israel.

Addressing the threats from Tehran, Zelensky made clear that such messages do not intimidate him or his country.

“We are not afraid of such messages; we have been living with messages like this every day for the past four years,” the president said.

During the interview, Zelensky also discussed the evolution of Iranian drone capabilities, arguing that the weapons being used today are significantly different from those deployed earlier in the war.

“It is impossible to compare the ‘Shahed’ from the beginning of the war to the ‘Shahed’ of today. In 99% of cases, the ‘Shahed’ has been used against Ukrainian civilians,” he said, adding that he is “certain” Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed-type drones.

Zelensky pointed to physical evidence, saying that components recovered from a drone strike in the Middle East indicate Russian involvement in their production.

“We saw several components from one of the ‘Shahed’ drones that struck a country in the Middle East. These were Russian components, so we know the Iranians did not manufacture it,” he said.

In recent days, Iran escalated its rhetoric, warning Ukraine that it has become a legitimate military target because of assistance it has provided to Israel.

Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, wrote on X that Ukraine’s actions have placed it directly in the conflict.

“By providing support to the Israeli regime through drones, the collapsing Ukraine is effectively involved in the war. According to Article 51 of the UN Charter, this has made its entire territory a legitimate target for Iran.”

The warning followed comments earlier in the week from Zelensky, who confirmed that Ukraine had sent interceptor drones, along with teams of experts and operators, to Jordan in order to help defend U.S. bases in the country.

Separately, reports indicated that Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu has sought to arrange a conversation with Zelensky regarding potential cooperation between Israel and Ukraine in countering Iranian drone threats.