Russia is sending drones and other equipment to Iran this month amid a U.S.-Israeli air campaign that has severely damaged the Islamic republic’s drone and missile capabilities, according to a new report.
Moscow has sent advanced Russian-made Shahed drones, food, medicine and other equipment to Iran, and is expected to complete its phased shipment of the supplies at the end of March, according to a Financial Times report citing Western intelligence.
Officials said Russia has supplied Iran with the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 and the Geran-2, an upgraded version of the original Iranian drone. Israel’s recent attacks on targets in the Caspian Sea were intended to disrupt the Russian shipments.
If the report is confirmed, it would mean that what began as a Russian-Iranian strategy to circumvent Western sanctions while developing advanced weapons may have transformed into a self-reinforcing production network.
Iranian engineers were largely responsible for developing the Shahed drone, a low-cost “kamikaze” drone that has been used against Iran’s targets in its war against the U.S. and Israel. In 2023, Russia established a drone production facility using Iranian technology, and Tehran shared technical expertise with Moscow on how to produce its own version of the Shahed.
Nearly 90% of all Shahed assembly now takes place in Russia, as Moscow sought a cheap and effective drone for use in the war in Ukraine, according to an Atlantic Council report published this week
The Kremlin, however, has said it is not supporting Iran with drones or other equipment while stating that it is continuing its dialogue with Iran’s leadership.
Earlier reports this month suggested that Russia was already supplying Iran with intelligence support and satellite imagery, which the Kremlin also denied. The data could have significantly improved Iran’s ability to target U.S. naval vessels in the region.
The Russian intelligence could also serve as a bargaining chip in Russia-Ukraine negotiations, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He argued this week that Russia could offer to stop sharing intelligence with Iran in exchange for Washington cutting off Kyiv from its own intelligence support.
Ukraine, with years of anti-drone combat experience, sent drone interception experts to the Persian Gulf region earlier this month on an intelligence-sharing mission. Ukraine’s interceptor systems can cost as little as $5,000 and can be produced rapidly, compared with the roughly $30,000 cost of a Shahed drone.
