Iran first admitted that it supplied military drones to Russia. The handover took place several months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Saturday.
Russia is now using drones to launch attacks on targets in Ukraine. Many of these attacks target the country’s (energy) infrastructure. Ukraine and its Western allies have long accused Iran of providing those drones, which Tehran has so far denied.
Amir-Abdollahian said only a “small number” of drones were involved and no deliveries were made after the war began. He also denied that Iran helped Russia with missiles, something Iran is also accused of.
Russia also denies the use of Iranian drones in Ukraine, while the Ukrainian military reported last week that it had shot down more than 300 drones from Iran since mid-September.
The European Union decided last month to impose sanctions on Iran for supplying drones to Russia.
