Iranian drones a sign of Putin's desperation

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense claimed that it shot down an Iranian drone used by Russian forces near Kupiansk. The Strategic Communications Department of the Ukrainian Armed Forces published photographs depicting the wing of a destroyed unmanned aerial vehicle that looks similar to the wing of Iran’s Shahed-136 drone. Yesterday, the ministry said it was “highly likely” that Russian Forces are utilizing Iranian-made drones, adding that “Russia is almost certainly increasingly sourcing weaponry from other heavily sanctioned states like Iran and North Korea as its own stocks dwindle.” Although the regime has consistently denied supplying the Kremlin with UAVs amidst its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has provided evidence to the contrary. …

In August, the U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson announced that it believed Iran had begun training Russian Forces to use its UAVs. Russia was suspected of receiving its first batch of drones from Iran shortly after, which U.S. officials believe were faulty and suffered from “numerous failures.” Although loitering munitions like the Shahed-136 can be a very formidable asset for any military, without proper training or sufficient equipment, their potential use in warfare is limited.