(Guardian-UK) Martin Chulov - Iran has used boats that crossed the Caspian Sea and a state-owned airline to smuggle new types of advanced long-range armed drones to Russia for use in its war on Ukraine, sources have revealed. Russian officers and technicians made a special visit to Tehran in November, where they selected missile-carrying drones with air-to-ground strike capabilities. The new higher-flying drones are designed to deliver bombs and return to base intact. Sources said the Iranian craft's ability to beat jamming systems is much valued by Russia. The drones were produced in the same military factory in the Iranian city of Isfahan that was targeted on 28 January by what was believed to have been an Israeli drone. U.S. officials have indicated they believe Israel was motivated by its own national security concerns, and was not trying to intervene in the Ukraine war. The strike is understood to have caused significant damage to the manufacturing of Iran's most advanced weapons systems, including precision-guided missiles and drones.
2023-02-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive