On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed his "deep concern" about Iran's military relations with Russia, during a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

A statement issued by Lapid's office stated that during the call, he was briefed on the latest developments in the war in Ukraine, and stressed that "Israel stands by the Ukrainian people."

The statement added that the Israeli Prime Minister expressed his "deep concern about the military relations between Iran and Russia."

According to an Israeli official, Lapid's statement refers to a supposed transfer of Iranian drones to Russia.

This evening, I spoke with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, @DmytroKuleba, who gave me an update on the war in Ukraine.

I shared with him our deep concern about the military ties between Iran and Russia.

Israel stands with the Ukrainian people.

🇮🇱 🇺🇦

— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) October 20, 2022

In this context, the European Union announced that it had collected "evidence" showing that the drones used by Russia in its war on Ukraine were supplied by Iran, and it imposed sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities.

Meanwhile, The New York Times quoted current and former US officials as saying that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards sent trainers to a military base in Crimea, to help the Russian military overcome problems with the Iranian drone squadron.

Russia and Iran strongly denied this accusation - Wednesday - at the United Nations.

On the other hand, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced - earlier - that Israel will not supply Ukraine with weapons, after Moscow warned against supplying Kyiv with Israeli weapons.

"Our policy toward Ukraine will not change," Gantz said, stressing that Tel Aviv "will continue to support the West and stand by it."

In late September, Israel called on all soldiers with Russian citizenship to return immediately to Israel, and announced that it would not recognize the annexation of the four Ukrainian provinces by Russia.

The Israeli authorities have so far limited their cooperation with Ukraine to humanitarian aid and shipments of non-lethal equipment, in order to maintain relations with Moscow.

Israel has also become a haven for Kremlin critics, and Russian celebrities have also moved there since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.