“Russia has been using Iranian UAVs [uncrewed aerial vehicles] in recent weeks to strike Kyiv and terrorize the Ukrainian population, and the Russia-Iran military partnership appears to be deepening,” said White House spokesperson John Kirby, citing newly declassified information.
The drones were manufactured in Iran and shipped to Russia across the Caspian Sea, but Kirby said Washington is “also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia.”
The White House released satellite imagery of what Kirby said was the planned location for a drone factory in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone east of Moscow. He said the US expects the plant will be fully operational by early next year.
In exchange, Russia has offered Iran billions of dollars in military equipment and cooperation on missiles, air defense, and electronics, said Kirby.
"This is a full-scale defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to Iran’s neighbors, and to the international community. We are continuing to use all the tools at our disposal to expose and disrupt these activities including by sharing this with the public - and we are prepared to do more,” he said.
Iran’s drone program is under US sanctions and the State Department on Friday published an advisory stating, “It is critical that the private sector be vigilant in meeting its legal obligations vis-a-vis Iran’s development of UAVs and associated components procurement and doing its part to prevent any activities that would further the development of Iran’s destabilizing and dangerous UAV program.”
Responding to accusations that its drones were used in Ukraine, Tehran has said that it supplied Russia with drones before the war, but not after the conflict began more than a year ago.
