Ukrainian ambassador to Iraq denies providing drones to Syria, armed groups

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ukraine’s ambassador to Iraq has denied claims that Ukraine supplied drones to Syrian armed groups or the interim Damascus government, maintaining that Kyiv’s military efforts are solely focused on defending its territory.

In a statement to Rudaw on Tuesday, Ukrainian ambassador to Iraq Ivan Dovhanych denied reports that Ukraine provided drones to the now-dissolved Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate, to strike Russian targets.

"All our military resources, including unmanned aerial capabilities, are dedicated exclusively to safeguarding our independence, territorial integrity and the lives of our citizens," the ambassador said.

"All Ukrainian military-technical resources are devoted entirely to the defense of Ukraine against the Russian invasion," Dovhanych said.

"Any assertions to the contrary constitute disinformation and should be treated with appropriate skepticism," he added.

The statement comes after The Washington Post reported that Ukraine provided at least 150 drones to HTS one month before the December 2024 fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Social media posts also claimed a Ukrainian drone provided to HTS to confront Russian forces was used in an attack on Aleppo’s provincial building as Kurdish forces clashed with Damascus-allied armed groups and the Syrian Arab Army on Saturday.

"Ukraine has not provided, does not provide, and has no plans to provide any weaponry or military equipment to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or any similar organization," Dovhanych said.

Dovhanych claimed Russia was the source of the "disinformation."

"This is rather telling - merely four years ago, Moscow claimed that Ukraine did not exist, whereas now Russians hallucinate Ukraine everywhere, even in Syria," he said.

Regarding Kyiv’s relations with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Dovhanych said Ukraine maintains official diplomatic ties solely with the interim government in Damascus.

"Regarding non-state actors within the Syrian conflict, including various armed (factions), Ukraine does not engage in direct dialogue or maintain formal relations with such groups," he said. He added that Kyiv supports Syria’s territorial integrity.

"We believe that lasting peace in Syria can only be achieved through inclusive political dialogue under the auspices of the United Nations and with full respect for Syrian sovereignty," Dovhanych said.

Niyaz Mustafa contributed to this article from Erbil.