- The US thinks Russian officials have started drone training in Iran in recent weeks.
- A Russian group visited an airstrip in Iran at least twice since June to evaluate drones.
- Ukraine has asked with the US to deploy more powerful armed drones like the Gray Eagle.
The US thinks Russian officials have started drone training in Iran in recent weeks, the latest indication that Russia plans to acquire the devices while the crisis in Ukraine continues.
“During the last several weeks, Russian officials conducted training in Iran as part of the agreement for UAV transfers from Iran to Russia,” a US source told CNN. According to the official, the intelligence regarding the training was just released.
CNN has requested response from the Russian embassy in Washington. When questioned about the drones, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated last month that Russia had “no comments on the matter”.
According to national security advisor Jake Sullivan and satellite footage acquired exclusively by CNN, a Russian group visited an airstrip in central Iran at least twice since June to evaluate weapons-capable drones.
Iran started demonstrating the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones, commonly known as UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, to Russia in June at the Kashan Airfield south of Tehran, according to US sources.
Both kinds of drones may carry precision-guided missiles. Sullivan said in July that the US thinks Iran aims to sell hundreds of drones to Russia for use in its conflict in Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces have mostly used Turkish-built Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack Russian command posts, tanks, and surface-to-air missile systems, while Russian forces have used homemade Orlan-10 drones for observation and electronic warfare.
However, the Russians have been struggling to replace their supply, prompting them to look to Iran for the technology, according to the US. US officials have also claimed that Iran’s developing ties with Russia demonstrates why the US must retain its presence and influence in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has asked with the US to deploy more powerful armed drones like the Gray Eagle, but the US has been hesitant to do so for fear of seeming unduly escalatory to Russia.
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