Russia-Ukraine War: Moscow paid billions in gold bullions to Iran for Shahed drones, leaked documents reveal

Russia has made a payment of nearly two billion dollars in gold bullion to Iran to procure Shahed-136 drones that the country has used in its war with Ukraine.

According to leaked documents published online by a hacker group called the Prana Network, Moscow signed a contract worth $1.75 billion for 6,000 drones with an offshoot of the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The country paid the amount in gold bullion and has shipped over two tonnes of it to the manufacturer Sahara Thunder.

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Russia has repeatedly used Shahed-136 drones to launch its deadly attacks against Ukraine. The unmanned aerial vehicles will reportedly undergo an upgrade at a production facility in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan before they are deployed.

Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, said, “In 2022, a $1.75 billion contract was signed for 6,000 Shaheds + hardware + software. Russia paid in literal gold; it shipped a little over two tonnes in bullion.”

How was the information recovered?

The hacker group, Prana Network, went deep inside the manufacturer Sahara Thunder’s server to recover the details of the deal between Russia and Iran.

The group found that the company Sahara Thunder is linked to Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center which has a connection to IRCG’s Aerospace Force.

What was revealed?

Gerashchenko, based on the findings of the leaked information, said that the cost of each Shahed-136 per unit for 6,000 drones would be $193,000 and for 2,000 drones the cost would be about $290,000 per unit.

Since its production was localised in Russia, they must have cost $165,500 per drone to the country’s defence ministry, he added.

The deal underscores the growing military relationship between Russia and Iran.

“The relationship is clearly intensifying and becoming more comprehensive,” ‌Bryan Clark, a former special assistant to the chief of US naval operations told The Telegraph.

‌“Not only has Russia been paying with gold bullion to Iran to give them these Shahad-136 drones, but Iran has also been building them in Russia at Russian facilities, so they have a co-development agreement to build them,” he added.