Russia Progresses in Manufacturing Iranian Attack Drones for Targeting Ukrainian Cities, Reports Washington Post
Russia is actively advancing its efforts to mass-produce Iranian attack drones capable of traveling over 1,000 miles in order to target Ukrainian cities, according to a report by the Washington Post. The documents obtained by the Post indicate that Moscow is persisting with its own version of the Shahed-136 drone, despite facing delays and sanctions that have affected the supply of necessary components from other countries.
The source of these leaked documents, who is reportedly involved in the project at the Russian Republic of Tatarstan’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone, expressed opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This individual provided the documents to shed light on the ongoing drone production.
While Iran has admitted to sending drones to Russia, it claimed that this occurred prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia had previously denied using Iranian drones in Ukraine, although President Vladimir Putin has called for an increase in domestic drone manufacturing. In fact, in April, Putin stated that Russia’s drone industry could potentially reach a value of over $20 billion.
At the moment, Russian officials have not released a statement in response to the Washington Post’s report. However, earlier this summer, the White House expressed concern over Russia’s deepening cooperation with Iran and asserted that the country had already received hundreds of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from Tehran. The United States, Ukraine, and other Western nations consider these transfers to be a violation of a 2015 UN Security Council resolution that supports the Iran nuclear deal.
In June, the White House disclosed that Iran was constructing UAVs and then shipping them across the Caspian Sea to be utilized by Russian forces against Ukraine. The transfer of several hundred drones had allegedly taken place since August of the previous year. This week, the Financial Times reported that Washington is exerting pressure on Iran to cease its drone sales to Moscow.
The Washington Post report emphasizes Russia’s pursuit of establishing its own drone factory in the Tatarstan region, situated 500 miles (800 km) east of Moscow. The goal is to produce 6,000 drones by the summer of 2025. Engineers at this facility are focused on building a larger-scale and higher-quality version of the Iranian drone. Additionally, they are aiming to incorporate new capabilities that would enable them to launch coordinated swarm attacks on targets.
The leaked documents, spanning from winter 2022 to spring 2023, contained factory blueprints, technical schematics, and other relevant details. Some of this information was previously reported by the Russian-language news outlet Protokol. It is worth noting that both Russia and Iran have faced sanctions from the United States relating to drone supplies, resulting in restrictions on Iranian executives at a defense manufacturer as well as other entities and individuals involved in drone-related activities.
While this article provides insights into Russia’s ongoing efforts to mass-produce Iranian attack drones, it is essential to consult multiple sources for a comprehensive understanding of the situation. The geopolitical implications and potential consequences of this development remain highly significant, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
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