Tehran accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of anti-Iranian propaganda in his call for Iran to cease the delivery of drones to Russia, claiming his remarks were intended to entice the West to provide more weaponry and financial help.

In a video message on Wednesday, Zelenskiy urged Iranians to stop their descent into “the dark side of history” by supplying Moscow with drones.

Iran originally denied providing Shahed drones to Russia, but subsequently admitted to providing a small number before to the battle. Ukraine claims that the drones had a significant part in Russia’s strikes on towns and infrastructure.

“The Ukrainian president’s repeat of delusional claims against the Islamic Republic of Iran is in line with the anti-Iranian propaganda and media war aimed at attracting as many arms and financial aid as possible from Western countries,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

Ukraine, Kanaani said, has been refusing to allow an independent investigation into these claims.

Russia has boosted its military cooperation with Iran since the launch of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has admitted using Iranian-made drones, but it is now seeking to boost its own production.

In his Wednesday address, Zelenskiy said: “The simple question is this: what is your interest in being an accomplice to Russian terror?”

“Your Shaheds, which terrorize Ukraine every night, mean only that the people of Iran are being driven deeper and deeper into the dark side of history,” he said.