Both types of UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, are capable of carrying precision-guided munitions and can be used for surveillance. Russian operators are still training on the drones inside Iran, the officials said, and the US believes Russia plans to import hundreds of them to use for air-to-ground attacks, electronic warfare and targeting inside Ukraine.
The Washington Post first reported that the drones had been moved to Russia.
The introduction of Iran’s drones, which can also be used for surveillance, could have a significant impact on the battlefield as Russia seeks to mitigate the impact of the high-mobility artillery missile systems (HIMARS) that the US and its allies provided to Ukraine. HIMARS have a range of 49 miles and have allowed Ukraine to attack targets behind Russian front lines.
U.S. intelligence officials believe, however, that when tested, many of the drones Russia has bought from Iran have already suffered multiple failures, the officials said, so it’s unclear how game-changing they will be for the Russians when develop.
The Biden administration began warning in July that Russia was trying to buy the drones amid acute supply shortages stemming from the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions that have blocked new production efforts. Satellite images revealed that month that a Russian delegation had visited an airport in central Iran at least twice since June to examine weapons-capable drones.
News of the drone deliveries comes as the Biden administration has expressed subdued optimism about a possible deal to revive the Iran nuclear deal. Critics of the deal say a new deal would result in sanctions relief for Iran and, in turn, an economic windfall that could enable Iran’s nefarious activities across the region and beyond. her.
White House officials insisted, however, that the decision to rejoin the nuclear deal should be motivated only by the need to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and not be swayed by Iranian actions outside the scope of its nuclear program .
