Russia-Iran deal on ballistic missiles supply being agreed

The information regarding the preparation of a draft agreement on the supply of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia has been shared by the military intelligence of Ukraine.

Vadym Skybytsky, the spokesman for the Main Intelligence Agency, stated that because “we understand the threat of using ballistic missiles against our state, today our diplomacy, military intelligence, and other structures are very active, which are working hard to prove to the world community how dangerous Iran’s weapons supplies to Russia are.”

Iran stopped denying its military collaboration with Russia

He claims that there are tangible consequences, noting that Iran changed its stance and stopped denying its involvement in the supply of weapons to Russia after solid evidence was shown.

According to military information from Ukraine, this summer, Russia, and Iran agreed to a deal for the sale of 1,750 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Shahed and Mohajer classes. About 350 of these UAVs were imported into Russia in the first batch, and 250 in the second, according to Skybytsky.

Russia provided Iran with $140 million in cash, as well as captured British and American weapons, in return for supplied kamikaze drones, according to Sky News, citing an anonymous source in intelligence services.

According to the source, on August 20, Russian military planes landed in Tehran, carrying cash, NLAW and Javelin anti-tank missiles, and Stinger portable air defense systems acquired by Russian forces in Ukraine. According to a Sky News source, the weaponry might let Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps evaluate and even reverse-engineer Western technologies.

EU to impose new sanctions on Iran

At a meeting of foreign ministers on November 13, a fresh set of EU sanctions on human rights will be adopted, two diplomats told Reuters.

According to them, 31 designations for human rights abuses against people and organizations would result in asset freezes and travel restrictions.

Read also: 7 French nationals detained in Iran, EU to adopt new sanctions

Additional sanctions over drone supplies

According to one of the officials, France has also suggested additional categories for individuals involved in the transfer of electronic parts for drones as well as those who sell drones to Iran.

In October, the EU approved sanctions against Iran over its drone supply to Russia, then used in Moscow’s war in Ukraine to bombard energy infrastructure.

Iran sends Russia combat kamikaze drones Shahed-136. The Russian invaders are trying to hide the origin of the drones, marking them “Geran”.

Iran’s involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine

Iran acknowledged that it had provided drones to Russia, but the country’s foreign minister insisted that the transfer of UAVs had occurred before Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine. However, this version is not plausible. 

Despite the Iranian declaration, the chronology of the events on the battlefield does not seem to support its claim. Russia only started using Iranian attack drones in the war in September. Why then didn’t Moscow employ drones before while losing battles in the war if it had it? The Iranian declaration seems to be a very awkward attempt to find a justification for this wrongdoing knowing that it cannot deny anymore that Russia obtained its drones.

Iranian advisors spotted in the war in Ukraine

Furthermore, Iran sent its military advisors to instruct Russian troops on how to use its combat drones, according to Ukrainian intelligence. Kyiv stated that the Iranian government also intends to send a new group of advisors to Russia to train Russian troops in the use of Iranian surface-to-surface missiles and a brand-new class of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), called the “Arash-2.” Their deliveries are expected to start soon.

Read also: 10 Iranian instructors killed in Ukraine war