Drone warfare. The conflict in Ukraine has taken a new turn in recent weeks with the use by Russia kamikaze drones, made in Iran, which notably fell on kyiv at the start of the week.
>> War in Ukraine: what do we know about Iranian drones used by the Russian army?
Can Tehran become Moscow’s new armed arm? The Islamic Republic denies these accusations, while Westerners fear a development of arms deliveries in favor of Vladimir Putin’s army.
If Iran already supplies Russia with intelligence drones of the Ababil-2 and 3 type, basic and inexpensive machines, Tehran has also delivered kamikaze drones, called Shahed-136, to Moscow. They are equipped with an explosive charge and are mainly used at night, or at dawn, to thwart the anti-aircraft defenses of the Ukrainian army. Iran even manages to manufacture them in large quantities, sometimes to the detriment of their reliability, at 20,000 dollars each: much cheaper than cruise missiles at two million dollars.
The Russians are also asking for surface-to-surface missiles of the Zolfaghar and Fateh 110 type, which can withstand up to 500 kilos of explosives. Weapons that were the subject of an agreement signed between the two countries on October 6, during a visit to Moscow by Iranian First Vice-President Mohammed Mokhber.
To these deliveries are added short-range rockets. Devices, made in Iran, which were used during the war in Syria and which the Lebanese Hezbollah has in its military arsenal. A relative of the Shiite movement also confides that around fifty trainers, “Guardians of the Revolution”, would have been dispatched to the Donbass to inspect the Russian defense lines and provide their military advice.
While Russia speaks today of a particular situation”tense” in the face of kyiv’s counter-offensive, particularly in the In southern Ukraine, this Iranian involvement once again shows the weaknesses of the Russian army, but remains synonymous with an intensification of the fighting.
>> With its kamikaze drones, Iran is getting closer to Russia and getting involved in the war
Tehran’s military aid has been denounced by the Ukrainian president. “The very fact that Russia calls on Iran for help is the Kremlin’s acknowledgment of its military and political bankruptcy.“, launched Tuesday, October 18 Volodymyr Zelensky. In response, Ukraine reduced its diplomatic presence in Iran. On the actual use of missiles, Tehran responds: “Where they are used is not seller’s problem. We are not taking sides in the Ukraine crisis like the West does. We want a solution to the crisis through diplomatic means“.
The fact remains that it is, whatever happens, a criminally reprehensible act. According to Anne-Claire Legendre, spokesperson for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, interviewed on Franceinfo, “this could potentially violate UN Security Council resolutions“. Iran is indeed subject to an arms embargo after a UN decision in 2015, and Anne-Claire Legendre recalls that this embargo “is binding not only on Iranians but also on other states“. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs indicates that “this issue will be raised at the UN Security Council on Thursday“.