Iran to supply Russians with drones for Ukraine鈥擶hite House

By: 2 years ago

Iran to supply Russians with UAVs for Ukraine鈥擶hite House

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan talks to reporters during the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 11, 2022 in Washington, DC. AFP

WASHINGTON 鈥� Iran is planning to supply hundreds of drones with combat weapon capabilities to Russia for use in Ukraine, a top US official said Monday.

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security advisor, said the information received by the United States supported views that the Russian military is facing challenges sustaining its weaponry after significant losses in Ukraine.

鈥淭he Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), including weapons-capable UAVs, on an expedited timeline,鈥� Sullivan told reporters.

鈥淥ur information further indicates that Iran is preparing to train Russian forces to use these UAVs, with initial training sessions slated to begin as soon as early July,鈥� he said.

Sullivan said it was not clear whether Iran had delivered any of the drones to Russia yet.

He noted that Iran鈥檚 drones have been used by the Houthi rebels in Yemen to attack Saudi Arabia.

Drones have played a crucial role on both sides of the war in Ukraine, for everything from firing missiles from a distance, to dropping small bombs on targets, to conducting reconnaissance for artillery forces and ground troops.

Ukraine鈥檚 forces have had particular success in using Turkish-made Bayraktar armed combat UAVs, and the United States and other allies have supplied Kyiv with many types of smaller drones.

鈥淔rom our perspective, we will continue to do our part to help sustain the effective defense of Ukraine and to help the Ukrainians show that the Russian effort to try to wipe Ukraine off the map cannot succeed,鈥� Sullivan said.

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