The last day of winter and the first day of spring 2026 passed with global attention focusing on Iran. After the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iranian targets, Tehran responded with its own attacks, where the main targets were Israeli territory and US military bases, though more and more countries suffer from the aftermath.
Images of air defences firing above cities and debris strewn across streets dominated the headlines, as drones once again became instruments of destruction.
Ukrainians, however, are painfully familiar with this sight, having suffered similar Russian attacks for years, which are not aimed at military targets but are designed to terrorise and exert pressure on civilians.
Unfortunately, for Ukraine, Iran is not a distant state or a topic of news about nuclear negotiations. Iranian-designed Shahed drones, supplied to Russia, have been used systematically against Ukrainian cities, targeting energy infrastructure, ports and residential buildings.
While the world focuses on uranium enrichment levels and nuclear threat, it must not lose sight of another reality: Iran's military technology, supplied to Russia, is already shaping a devastating war in Europe.
Ukraine opposes the regime in Tehran, not the Iranian people: the part of the society that supplies weapons to Russia does not represent the full complexity of Iranian society.
Ukraine, like much of the world, has witnessed how many Iranians have faced repression, censorship, imprisonment, violence and even death for demanding basic freedoms and dignity. Their struggle for civil rights is not foreign to Ukrainians, it's deeply familiar.
Ukrainians are fighting against imperial authoritarianism that denies our right to exist as a sovereign nation. Many Iranians are resisting a repressive system that denies them political voice and personal freedom. In the long run, the security of Ukrainians and the freedom of Iranians are interconnected.
Authoritarian regimes often present themselves as a united front; however, their cooperation is purely transactional and uneven. Russia has relied heavily on external military support, including Iranian drones, but it does not necessarily offer equivalent protection or anything more than comments on social media.
Democratic cooperation works differently, as it is based not only on convenience but also on shared security interests and accountability. Supporting Ukraine and learning from Ukraine is part of a broader effort to contain destabilising military exports and prevent their further spread.
The United Kingdom has authorised the use of its bases in the context of regional security operations and is engaging Ukrainian specialists for consultations on countering drone attacks.
This way, Ukraine is no longer only a recipient of security assistance: it has become one of the most experienced countries in the world in countering Iranian-designed drones under real battlefield conditions.
Events around Iran, however distant they may seem, are not disconnected from what Ukraine has been experiencing for years.
It is both possible and necessary to pursue nuclear deterrence. But equally necessary to confront another reality: Iranian-designed drones, supplied to Russia, have already been killing civilians, destroying infrastructure and testing the resilience of a democratic society under sustained attack in Europe. For years, these weapons have terrorised Ukrainian cities. Now, the consequences of this technology are unfolding closer to its source.
Yet drones and even nuclear capabilities are only the visible part of a much larger issue: the deeper challenge lies in a network of authoritarian regimes that exchange technologies, tactics and political backing. Their cooperation does not stop at borders - it adapts, expands and continually tests the limits of democratic response.
On the Agenda #ontheagenda
This publication was compiled with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. It's content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.
