Russia flew €140m in money and a number of captured UK and US weapons to Iran in return for dozens of lethal drones for its warfare in Ukraine, a safety supply has claimed.
A Russian army plane secretly transported the money and three fashions of munition – a British NLAW anti-tank missile, a US Javelin anti-tank missile and a Stinger anti-aircraft missile – to an airport in Tehran within the early hours of 20 August, the supply instructed Sky News, talking on situation of anonymity to share delicate data.
The weapons had been a part of a cargo of UK and US army tools supposed for the Ukrainian army that “fell into Russian hands”, based on the supply.
The supply mentioned they might give Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) the flexibility to check Western expertise and probably copy it.
“They will probably be reverse-engineered and used in future wars,” the supply mentioned.
For its half, Iran equipped Russia with greater than 160 unmanned aerial automobiles (UAVs), together with 100 Shahed-136 drones, the supply claimed. These have been nicknamed “suicide drones” as a result of they explode on affect.
The supply alleged {that a} additional drone deal value €200m (£174m) had been agreed between Tehran and Moscow up to now few days.
“That means there will be another big supply of UAVs from Iran soon,” the supply mentioned.
The Iranian and Russian governments have been approached for a response to the allegations.
President Vladimir Putin’s forces have lately ramped up drone assaults in opposition to Ukraine.
Coupled with extra typical missile strikes, they’ve focused important energy and water provides throughout the nation, together with within the capital Kyiv.
The barrages have killed civilians, induced widespread blackouts and strained Ukrainian air defences, with expensive anti-aircraft missiles deployed to counter less expensive drones.
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Iranian drones ‘essential half’ of warfare effort
Justin Bronk, a senior analysis fellow on the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think-tank, mentioned the Iranian drones had grow to be a vital a part of Russia’s warfare effort.
“If Iran hadn’t supplied the Shaheds, it would be significantly less effective in terms of the Russian strike campaign against Ukrainian electrical infrastructure and water,” he mentioned.
In a probably even graver menace, the Iranian authorities has additionally reportedly agreed to switch larger, extra subtle ballistic missiles to Russia.
Vadym Prystaiko, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, mentioned if the reviews have been confirmed “this will pose a real, real threat”.
He instructed Sky News: “If they [Iranian ballistic missiles] come in numbers, we will have real trouble.”
Iran has dismissed the missile allegation as “completely false”, although it did lastly admit to supplying “a limited number of drones” to Moscow.
But Hossein Amirabdollahian, the international minister, claimed on Saturday that this occurred earlier than – not since – Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February.
By distinction, Ukraine, the US, the UK and France have all accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia extra lately.
The precise whole quantity is just not clear. The US mentioned in July it believed the Iranian authorities was getting ready to supply Russia with a whole bunch of drones.
Russian army cargo planes ‘in Tehran’
Offering proof of the alleged 20 August drone transaction, the safety supply shared with Sky News satellite tv for pc imagery that they mentioned confirmed two Russian army cargo planes at an airport in Tehran.
The supply mentioned one of many Ilyushin IL-76 plane was believed to have transported the €140m (£122m) and the captured Western weapons.
The first picture, time-stamped 1.17am within the morning on 20 August, confirmed two plane, highlighted by pink traces, at Mehrabad airport within the Iranian capital.
In the second picture, taken at simply after 3.30am, one of many plane had moved to the runway facet of the ability and the opposite had circled.
In the ultimate picture, three and a half hours later, each plane appeared to have gone.
Either one or each of them departed carrying Iranian drones, the supply alleged.
The supply mentioned they have been conscious of no less than 5 Russian plane having transported drones from Iran since 20 August as a part of the deal.
A listing of equipped drones
In phrases of what was equipped by Iran, the supply listed: 100 Shahed-136 drones, 60 smaller Shahed-131 drones and 6 Mohajer-6 drones.
Unlike the Shahed “suicide” plane, the Mohajer-6 is an armed drone that may drop or launch munitions.
Asked why Russia additionally gave Iran captured British and US weapons, the supply mentioned it’s thought this was as a result of Tehran wished to make use of its potential to reverse-engineer merchandise.
The supply mentioned they believed data gained by the Iranians from reverse-engineering a US spy drone captured by Iran in 2011 helped within the growth of the Shahed drones.
Iran reverse-engineering drones
“We think that the Iranians have proven that they have an efficient reverse-engineering system, as we can see with the UAVs they have reverse-engineered from the US’s UAV captured in 2011,” the supply mentioned.
“It seems that Iran also wants to benefit from the war [in Ukraine] by receiving from the Russians Western capabilities that will be useful for them in the future – as happened in the past.”
An American RQ-17 Sentinel surveillance drone – used for reconnaissance – was captured in December 2011. An Iranian commander claimed the next 12 months that his nation had reverse-engineered the plane and was constructing a duplicate.
Moscow final month denied its forces had used Iranian drones to assault Ukraine.
“Russian equipment with Russian nomenclature is used,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on 18 October. “All further questions should be directed to the Defence Ministry.”
Sky News has contacted the Russian defence ministry however has but to obtain a reply.
Source: information.sky.com”