Zelensky Announces Ukrainian Long-Range Hits on Russian Warship and Iran-Tied Cargo Ships

The Ukrainian leader praised a distant Caspian Sea mission, stating that forces targeted a Russian warship along with ships connected to Iran-related military supply lines.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the media as he arrives to attend an informal European leaders' summit in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, April 23, 2026; illustrative.

(photo credit: REUTERS/YIANNIS KOURTOGLOU)

ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

JULY 25, 2026 13:24

Updated: JULY 25, 2026 15:32

Ukraine's forces struck a Russian warship and vessels used for transporting Iran-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

"We also achieved very strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea - including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran," he said on X.

Zelensky did not provide additional details.

This report from Ukraine comes on the heels of a recent statement from US President Donald Trump to Truth Social on Friday, in which he claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin assured him that Russia was not selling weapons to Iran.

"If they did, it would be very bad for them - certainly not in their best interests," Trump emphasized in the post.

US intelligence suspects Russian involvement in Iranian attacks

Despite Trump's confidence in Putin's claims regarding arms sales to Iran, recent reports from US intelligence sources indicated that Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf might have received Russian assistance, potentially involving the provision of targeting information or advanced drone technology.

According to the Reuters report, at least two CIA facilities were struck in March, one of which was the CIA station in Saudi Arabia, located within the US embassy in Riyadh, while another was based in eastern Iraq.

These US intelligence sources informed Reuters that firm conclusions about Russian involvement in the attacks have not yet been reached.

However, they noted the strikes' effectiveness and precision, as well as Russia's broad technical support for Iran, as potential evidence of this involvement.

While Russian support for Iran is longstanding, the specific targeting of sensitive CIA sites would suggest that Moscow is willing to escalate its efforts to disrupt US operations as Washington continues to face challenges in trying to bring the conflict involving Iran to an end.