Russian Forces in Ukraine appear to be receiving regular deliveries of Iranian-made combat drones. According to Britain’s Defense Ministry, in the month of March alone, Russia carried out at least 71 Iranian-designed drone barrages targeting a variety of areas across Ukraine. The Kremlin’s reliance on lethal drones stems from its quickly dwindling stockpile of other munitions and military equipment. Short on raw materials and cash due to sweeping international economic sanctions and nearly thirteen months of war, Moscow has turned to its rogue ally to supply it with its deadliest unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
When Did Iran Begin Supplying Russia With Drones?
Since the onset of Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian forces have effectively used a range of surveillance, combat, and reconnaissance UAVs to aid its defensive efforts. The significant role that drone warfare has played from the beginning of the conflict has shaped the Kremlin’s desire to procure Iran’s UAV variants.
Over the summer, the White House first indicated that an approaching deal between Tehran and Moscow was surely on the table. Aerial footage depicting a Russian delegation visiting Iran’s Karshan airfield surfaced and notably the Shahed family of drones. While the Iranian regime relentlessly denied a potential shipment of lethal drones to the Kremlin for months, it ultimately came clean in the late fall. However, the regime’s admission came with a caveat – Iranian officials refused to concede that its UAVs were being used in Ukraine.
The Shahed Family of Drones Has Been Used Often in Ukraine
Iran is irrefutably providing Russia with the drones it uses to carry out attacks targeting a range of residential buildings, critical infrastructure, and Ukrainian personnel. Just last week, video footage shared by Radio Liberty depicts a Ukrainian border guard displaying a downed Shahed drone to journalists. One month prior, U.S. analysts compared photos depicting the aftermath of a 2022 Iranian-launched drone attack in Iraq to the debris of a recent barrage in Kyiv. An Iranian-made Shahed-131 lethal drone was used in both instances.
The Shahed-131 “killer” UAV is the predecessor to the more widely recognized Shahed-136 variant. While the -131 is smaller in size, the drone shares similar capabilities and components as its successor. The -131 has a range of around 500 miles while the -136 can travel up to 1,200 miles. Both UAVs are known for the low buzzing sound they make when they approach a target. As killer drones, the Shahed family variants carry a warhead that explodes once the vehicle reaches its intended target.
Is Iran Replenishing Russia’s Low Stock of Killer Drones?
At the beginning of the year, Ukrainian officials and Western analysts predicted that Moscow was running low on Shahed drones. The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense revealed that a sharp cessation in Russia’s use of these combat drones indicated a dwindling stockpile. Perhaps Tehran timed out Moscow’s needs perfectly since the regime has had its eyes set on acquiring the Sukhoi Su-35 for years. Moscow’s need for additional drones coincided quite nicely with this airframe desire for Iran. Earlier this month, an Iranian-Russian deal was reportedly made surrounding the eventual delivery of Su-35 fighters to Tehran. A subsequent deal involving the shipment of more Shahed UAVs is likely to follow.
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Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
