Ukraine envoy to Iraq rejects allegations of Kyiv-run 'cells' on Iraqi soil

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Ukraine's ambassador to Iraq, Ivan Dovhanish, has rejected claims by Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Abeudi that groups acting on Kyiv's behalf have carried out attacks inside Iraq, saying Baghdad has provided no evidence to support the allegations. Speaking on Monday, Dovhanish said Iraq learned of the claims through a television broadcast rather than any diplomatic channel, and that no information, concern or evidence had been shared through official contacts. "The facts do not support these claims, a position the Iraqi official himself acknowledged," the ambassador said in a statement, recalling a detailed explanation issued by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on July 28. Dovhanish stressed that Ukraine is fighting for its own existence and has no intention, interest or connection to any illegal activity on Iraqi territory. The envoy pointed to the 2022 killing of more than 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka, saying the party that blamed Ukraine at the time for the deaths of its own soldiers is now employing the same approach. He said Ukraine stands ready to examine any material or evidence that emerges and that diplomatic channels remain open to the Iraqi side. Dovhanish described Ukraine as a long-standing and important partner of Iraq, noting that bilateral ties draw on decades of accumulated cooperation. Within that framework of friendship, he said, Ukraine expects Iraq to issue an official denial of what he called the unfounded allegations. No further details were immediately available.