Zaluzhny warned of a "catastrophe" in the event of a U.S. ground operation in Iran
Valeriy Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that a potential ground operation by the U.S. and Israel in Iran could end in disaster due to the modern technological realities of warfare.
In an interview with The Telegraph on March 22, 2026, he emphasized that the development of unmanned systems has created a “kill zone” in which the presence of ground troops in desert terrain becomes practically impossible.
According to Zaluzhny, attempting to use traditional combat methods involving soldiers in such conditions is a grave mistake, as drones have fundamentally changed the battlefield. He also noted that today only three countries in the world—Ukraine, Russia, and Iran—are physically and practically prepared to wage a war of this type and scale. He called the fact that Ukraine is on this list the only positive aspect of the current global crisis.
Earlier reports indicated that Zaluzhny had received requests from Israel and Saudi Arabia regarding defense consultations.
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi released a statement marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion.
