White House Predicts Iran Will Send Russia Armed Drones – Despite Russia’s closest allies remaining hesitant to provide military assistance to Russian troops in Ukraine, Iran is reportedly preparing to provide “hundreds” of armed unmanned aerial vehicles to the Kremlin as fighting in eastern Ukraine intensifies.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that American intelligence officials believe that Iran is preparing to assist Russia in taking pushing back Ukrainian defenses.
“Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan also warned that Iran is preparing to train Russian troops on how to use the drones. At this stage, Sullivan also said it was unclear whether the drones were on their way or whether they have already been delivered to Russia, adding that the training may have also already taken place.
Not only does the news reflect continued hostility from Iran as President Joe Biden continues to wrangle with Tehran over their non-compliance with the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action, but also indicates that Russia is experiencing heavy losses as it maintains continues artillery strikes in eastern Ukraine.
Sullivan described how the rumored military assistance from Iran proved that Russia’s bombardments in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, which have resulted in substantial territorial gains in recent weeks, were “coming at a cost to the sustainment of its own weapons.”
Fighting Back Against U.S.-Made Drones
Such a donation would help Russian soldiers fight back after Ukraine received a brand-new American-designed drone known as the “Phoenix Ghost.”
In May, the United States announced that over one hundred new Phoenix Ghost drones would be donated to Ukraine to accompany the many Switchblade 300 drones donated to the country since February.
Little information was offered about how the new drones would work, but several reports indicated that the drone would function in a similar way to the Switchblade. It could mean that the Phoenix Ghost drone is similarly capable of delivering precision strikes against ground-based targets, and could also potentially mean that the drones are ultra-portable.
Switchblade 300 drones are small enough to be carried in a rucksack and can be fired by an individual soldier.
Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Industry Handout.
“The Phoenix Ghost was rapidly developed by the Air Force, in response, specifically to Ukrainian requirements,” a senior U.S. defense official said in May. “This is a great example of adapting to their needs in real-time.”
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
