Berlin, October 18

NATO will deliver air defence systems to Ukraine in coming days to help the country defend itself against the drones, including those from Iran, that Russia is using to target critical infrastructure, the alliance’s secretary-general said on Tuesday.

Ukraine said attacks by swarms of drones had destroyed almost a third of its power stations over the past week after Russia stepped up its attacks on infrastructure far from the front line after suffering a string of military setbacks at the hands of Ukrainian troops.

Addressing a security conference in Berlin, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the answer to the attacks was for the allies to step up their deliveries of air defence systems.

“The most important thing we can do is deliver on what allies have promised, to step up and deliver even more air defence systems,” he said.

“NATO will in the coming days deliver counter-drone systems to counter the specific threat of drones, including those from Iran.”

Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran had promised to supply Russia, whose military efforts in Ukraine are being hampered by Western sanctions, with missiles as well as more drones.

“No nation should support the illegal war of Russia against Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. Reuters