Ukraine urges Iraq to retract allegations, blames Russian narratives

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Ukraine on Wednesday called on Iraq to formally withdraw allegations that groups working on Kyiv's behalf carried out attacks inside Iraqi territory, escalating a diplomatic dispute after Baghdad's national security adviser accused Ukrainian-linked operatives of involvement in the incidents.

In an exclusive interview with Shafaq News, Ukrainian Ambassador Ivan Dovhaniych said Iraqi authorities had provided “neither evidence nor official information to support the accusations” and had not raised the matter through diplomatic channels before National Security Adviser Qasim al-Aboudi made the claims in a televised interview.

The ambassador said Kyiv remained prepared to examine any evidence Iraqi authorities might present, but maintained that none had been shared and that Ukraine's position was reflected in a July 28 Foreign Ministry statement rejecting the allegations as "groundless and unsupported by evidence."

While declining to speculate on al-Aboudi's motives, the ambassador said the allegations echoed narratives “promoted by Russia” to undermine Ukraine's relations with countries in the Middle East. "There is one state with an obvious interest in driving a wedge between Ukraine and Iraq," he said, referring to Russia. He added that Ukraine had "neither the intention, nor the interest, nor the slightest connection to any unlawful activity on Iraqi soil."

On Monday, Al-Aboudi stated that Iraqi intelligence had identified Ukrainian involvement in attacks inside Iraq, adding that several suspects had confessed during questioning to working for Ukraine. He did not identify the suspects, disclose their nationalities, or present evidence supporting the allegations, saying “further investigations were required before formal charges could be brought.” ...