Iran remains Russia’s top military backer – US State Department

Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State stated this during a press briefing in Washington.

Asked to comment on US intelligence information about the construction of an Iranian drone manufacturing plant in Russia, he said: “Iran remains Russia’s top military backer, and Russia received hundreds of one-way attack UAVs as well as UAV production-related equipment from Iran”.

Patel reminded that the Russian army has been using Iranian drones to strike Kyiv and other regions to terrorize the Ukrainian population.

"This military partnership between Russia and Iran continues to be deepening," he stressed.

Facility for the construction of Shahed drones in Russia

Back in November 2022, it was reported that Russian forces and their Iranian partners had allegedly agreed to jointly produce drones for use in the war against Ukraine. And Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of a system for training specialists in the development and production of drones.

In February 2023, Western media again reported that Iran and Russia were holding secret talks on the construction of a plant to produce ‘kamikaze’ drones. At the time, Iran denied this information.

In June, US intelligence said that Iran was providing Russia with materials to build a drone factory east of Moscow as Russia seeks a steady supply of weapons for the war in Ukraine. It is believed that the plant could start operating in early 2024. On July 25, the US said that such production could have a significant impact on the war in Ukraine.

Iran provides Shahed drones and other weapons to Russia for attacks on Ukraine

The Russian army is actively using Iranian drones to strike at Ukrainian territory. Previously, the West has repeatedly claimed that Moscow and Tehran have agreements on the supply of drones, but they have long denied these accusations.

In February, CNN wrote that Iran had modified the ‘kamikaze’ drones it supplies to Russia so that explosive warheads could cause maximum damage to Ukraine's infrastructure. Instead, in May, the newspaper noted that Iran was supplying Russia with more and more ammunition via the Caspian Sea, and the West could not prevent this.

On June 5, the media reported on a contract for Russia to purchase artillery and tank shells, as well as various missiles from Iran. And the WSJ wrote: Western experts who studied the Iranian ‘kamikaze’ drone shot down in Ukraine said one part was made in China in early 2023. This could mean that Beijing is the supplier.

Later, the White House said that Iran plans to build a drone factory in Russia, with production expected to begin in 2024.

And the Ukrainian Air Force said that Iran could supply Russia with drones not only by air but also by sea. They also suggested that Russia could receive not only Shahed drones but also Mohajer-6 drones from Iran.

Already on July 18, Iran declared its support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and called for an end to the war through a political settlement.