According to the White House, members of Iran’s military are training Russian troops in Crimea to operate Iranian kamikaze drones.
According to The Associated Press, a spokesperson for the National Security Council John Kirby stated that Iranians had been present on the ground to support Russia’s drone operations. However, Iran denies the claim. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the so-called “kamikaze” drones, which are sourced from Iran, have ravaged Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and energy supply in recent days, leading primarily to civilian deaths and blackouts.
According to Kirby, the AP reports that “the information we have is the Iranians have placed trainers and tech support into Crimea”, but it’s actually the Russians who are doing piloting.”
Wednesday’s CNBC report that Iran’s representative at the U.N. described the allegations that Tehran supplied a fleet suicide drones as “unfounded” and “unsubstantiated”.
In July, the U.S. disclosed that it had evidence Iran was planning to ship hundreds of Shahed looting munitions to Russia. They strike their targets by diving into them and setting themselves ablaze, earning the nickname “suicide” or even “kamikaze” drones.
According to the AP, August’s declassified U.S. intelligence suggested that the Russians had initially struggled with the weapons. This could have led to a deployment by Iran troops to support training and support.
According to Kirby, Kirby stated that the Iranians had decided to send in trainers and technical support to help Russia use them with greater lethality.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. According to Voice of America, Gen. Pat Ryder stated this. Their effect “does not change the fact that Russian forces continue to lose territory.”
Ryder said that Iran continues to be an explicit Russian in “exporting terror”.
According to the New York Post, while the White House stated that it would continue to enforce existing U.S. sanctions against the Iranian and Russian arms trades, it did not say whether any new sanctions would be imposed.
According to the AP, Shahed Aviation Industries officials and three Iranian generals were sanctioned by the European Union for their connections to Iran’s drone program.
According to the AP, the EU stated that the move was a “signal of its resolve to respond quickly and decisively to Iran’s actions supporting Russian aggression towards Ukraine”. “The EU condemns Iran’s drone delivery to Russia and their use in the war against Ukraine.”
