Status: 11/05/2022 1:06 p.m
Iran has previously denied supplying Russia with drones to be used in the war against Ukraine. The country’s foreign minister now admits that a “small number” was delivered before the war.
Iran has admitted to supplying drones to Russia for the first time. Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian said his country provided Moscow with a “small number” of drones a few months before the war against Ukraine, state-run IRNA news agency reports. However, nothing is known about the use of drones in the war.
Iran remains committed to ending the conflict. “If we are shown that Russia used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, we will not be indifferent.” The chief diplomat denied further arms deliveries after the start of the Russian war of aggression and the provision of missiles.
Kyiv and the US government recently denounced that Iranian kamikaze drones had been used in the Ukraine war. Tehran has also reportedly sent military personnel to Russian-held Crimea to train the Russians on how to use the drones and provide them with technical assistance.
conflicting parties as a source
Information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict parties cannot be directly checked by an independent body in the current situation.
Allegations so far denied
So far, Iran had denied the deliveries. Earlier this week, Tehran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Irawani, described the allegations as completely unfounded and asserted Iran’s neutrality in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian had also recently asserted that his country was not supplying Russia with drones or missiles. This could be discussed in bilateral meetings with Ukraine.
Amirabdollahian said he had arranged such a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Accordingly, Ukraine should submit documents that Russia actually used Iranian drones in Ukraine. But the Ukrainian delegation canceled a planned meeting at the last minute.
According to the Ukrainian military, it has shot down hundreds of Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. It is assumed that Russia has ordered 2,400 such drones.
Iran has close ties with Russia. In order to neutralize Western sanctions, Tehran is appealing to China and Russia in particular for economic and military cooperation.
Topic overview
war in Ukraine