Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian announced the sale after several months of vague comments about Iranian drones that Russia is now using against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
– We transferred a limited number of drones to Russia several months before the Ukrainian war, he told reporters in Tehran on Saturday.
So far, Iranian officials have denied that Iran has supplied Russia with weapons for use in the war against Ukraine, although they acknowledge that they have defense cooperation with Russia. Iran claims to be neutral in the conflict and opposes arming either side.
Baseless accusations
This week, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations called the accusations “baseless” and reiterated Iran’s neutral stance on the war.
At the same time, the IRGC has vaguely boasted that drones are being sent to other major powers in the world, and Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, emphasized how effective the drones are.
Amir Abdollahian claimed that Iran did not know that the Russians used drones against Ukraine, and that Iran wanted to stop the war. Requests the Ukrainian authorities to send any documents that Iranian drones have been used in Ukraine.
– He said that if it is proved to us that Russia used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, then it is not indifferent to us.
The photo shows what Ukraine says are the remains of a martyred Iranian drone that was shot down near Kobyansk. Iran admits that it sold drones to Russia, but claims that this only happened before the war with Ukraine. Photo: Directorate of Strategic Communications of the Ukrainian Army / AP
Hundreds fell
The Ukrainian military said it shot down hundreds of so-called Shahed-136 Kamikazedrones, but many of them also hit their targets.
Kamikaze drones explode when they hit their target, and Russia is believed to have ordered 2,400 drones from Iran.
Iran has a good relationship with Russia, among other things due to standing up to Western sanctions.
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