The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated this week that Russia was using 4,000 bombs a month to damage civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. The new missiles are anticipated to aid Russia in this endeavour.

US and European authorities claim that Iran has delivered short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, defying strong advice from Washington and its allies not to give Moscow those same weapons to use against targets in Ukraine. Russia’s efforts to damage Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, which President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine claimed last week involved 4,000 bombs a month across the nation, are expected to be aided by the new missiles.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive subjects, representatives from the US and Europe revealed that Iran has sent several hundred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia following months of warnings about sanctions. The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported on the delivery. In a statement issued on Friday by its permanent representative to the UN, Iran denied supplying the weapons and reiterated its stance on the conflict in Ukraine.

According to the statement, Iran views as inhumane the giving of military support to the warring sides, which results in a rise in casualties, the devastation of infrastructure, and a withdrawal from ceasefire talks. Therefore, Iran not only forgoes taking such action on its own, but it also urges other nations to stop arming the opposing parties to the conflict.

According to a senior European official, the question is how Washington and the West will respond. It was unclear how forceful Washington would be in response, the official said, with the US presidential campaign already well underway and President Joe Biden looking like a lame duck. Zelensky has repeatedly asked Biden to provide Ukraine longer-range missiles that are capable of hitting Russian airfields, but Biden has refused. Russia can launch large bombs with GPS packs to assure precision and fins to glide against Ukraine from those locations. At the moment, Ukraine lacks missiles with a sufficient range to reach those airfields.

Zelensky made his request for such weapons at the Ukraine Contact Group meeting on Friday in Ramstein, Germany. Later that evening, he reiterated his request at a significant European conference in Cernobbio, Italy. He begged for “air defences to defend ourselves” in those words. He declared that no longer-range missiles will be fired by Ukraine against civilian targets.