United States (US) National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan told reporters on Monday that Iran “is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs [drones]” to use in its ongoing war with Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House, Sullivan said Tehran plans to send reconnaissance and “weapons capable” unmanned aerial vehicles to Moscow on an “expedited timeline.” He added that the US remains “unclear” whether Iran has already delivered the UAVs to Russia.
“Iran is preparing to train Russian forces to use UAVs, with initial training sessions slated to begin in July,” Sullivan mentioned. The NSA said this was proof that the recent gains made by Russia in Ukraine were “coming at a cost to the sustainment of its own weapons.”
Sullivan was referring to Russia’s declaration of victory against Ukrainian forces in Luhansk. Days before Moscow announced the “liberation” of Luhansk, the Kremlin admitted for the first time since the war began that Russia was running out of weapons and had an “increased need” to repair military equipment.
This builds on The Guardian's reporting in April that weapons supplies from Iran and Iran-aligned proxy militias in Iraq were ending up in Russia's hands to support the Ukraine war. Iranian military training of Russians would add a key new dimension to their security partnership. pic.twitter.com/T56LlPYlUX
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) July 11, 2022
Since the start of the war, Russia has seen significant losses in military equipment, including the destruction of over 1,500 tanks, almost 4,000 armoured vehicles, and more than 600 drones, according to Ukraine. Kyiv has dealt a lot of damage to Russian weaponry through drones, especially the Turkish-manufactured Bayraktar TB2.
These losses could have pushed Moscow to consider purchasing foreign weapons. In this regard, Sullivan said Russia is looking to countries like Iran to expand its military capabilities. He added that Iran could be supplying Russia with drones that Yemen’s Houthi rebels have used to attack Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh and the West have accused Tehran of supplying weapons to the Houthis, who have been fighting a brutal seven-year-old war with a Saudi-led coalition. Last week, the United Kingdom revealed for the first time that the Royal Navy seized Iranian missile shipments bound for Yemen earlier this year. The Navy found that some of the weapons in the shipment were regularly used by the Houthis to strike targets in Saudi Arabia and in an attack on Abu Dhabi in January that killed three people.
Sullivan’s remarks come as President Joe Biden gears up to visit Israel and Saudi Arabia this week, wherein he is expected to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme and the establishment of a joint air defence system with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Israel.