The United States assesses that Russia now has weapons-capable Iranian drones that they will likely deploy on the battlefield in Ukraine, Biden administration officials tell CNN.
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Officials said the Russians picked up the drones from Iranian airspace earlier this month and they were taken to Russia in cargo planes in mid-August.
Russian officials began training on drones in Iran late last month, CNN previously reported, and the US now believes Russia has officially purchased and transferred the Mohajar-6 and Shaheed-series drones. Given – Shaheed-129 and Shaheed-191 – back to Russia, the possibility of use in the war in Ukraine.
Both types of UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, are capable of carrying precision guided munitions and can be used for surveillance.
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Officials said Russian operators are still training on drones inside Iran, and the US believes Russia is importing hundreds of them for air-to-surface attacks, electronic warfare and targeting inside Ukraine. intends to do. He can go to any extent to win
The launch of Iranian drones could have a significant impact on the battlefield as Russia looks to blunt the impact of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) that the US and its allies have provided to Ukraine. which will play an important role at war level
US intelligence officials
However, US intelligence officials believe that when tested, many of the drones Russia has purchased from Iran have already experienced multiple failures, so it is not clear how much of a game changer they will be when deployed. Because he has failed so many times
The Biden administration began warning in July that Russia was looking to purchase the drones amid acute supply shortages stemming from the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions that have stymied new production efforts.
Satellite imagery revealed that month showed that a Russian delegation had visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice since June to examine weapons-capable drones.
The deal’s detractors say that a new deal will result in sanctions relief for Iran — and in turn, a financial windfall that could enable Iran’s malign activities throughout the region and beyond.
White House officials have insisted, however, that the decision to re-enter the nuclear deal should be motivated only by the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and should not be influenced by Iranian actions that fall outside the scope of their nuclear program.
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