Iran used boats and a state-owned airline to smuggle long-range armed drones to Russia for deployment in its war on Ukraine, a report has said.
At least 18 drones were delivered to the Russian navy after officers and technicians from the country made a special visit to Tehran in November 2022, The Guardian reported.
The move demonstrates the increasing proximity between Iran and Russia, which share a hostility towards the US, since Kremlin launched an invasion of Ukraine last year.
During the visit to Iran, the Russian officials were shown a full range of Iran’s technologies, during which the Russian delegation selected six Mohajer-6 drones.
The Mohajer-6 drones have a range of 200 km and can carry two missiles under each wing, along with 12 Shahed 191 and 129 drones.
The Shahed 191 and 129 drones are higher flying drones and designed to deliver bombs and return to base intact, unlike other Iranian kamikaze drones, the report said.
Earlier in August, US officials said that Iran had begun showcasing the drones to Russia and added they expected Tehran to sell them to Moscow.
The drones sent to Russia were secretly picked up by an Iranian ship from a base on the coast of the Caspian Sea and then transferred at sea in a Russian navy boat, the report said. Some drones were also sent on a state-owned Iranian airline.
Since October, Russia has launched regular waves of aerial attacks against Ukraine, mainly targeting energy infrastructure.
Ukraine and its Western allies have for long accused Iran of supplying military drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine, a claim that is denied by Tehran.
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