A drone factory that Russia is helping Iran build could be up and running next year, the US says.
WASHINGTON — The military partnership between Moscow and Tehran is deepening, White House officials said Friday as they released recently declassified information about a drone factory Iran is helping Russia build.
Russia has repeatedly used Iranian-made drones to attack Ukraine in recent months, including attacks on civilian targets, buildings and electrical infrastructure as part of an effort to break Ukrainian morale. And as Moscow’s own arms supplies have dwindled, Iran has become a major supplier of military aid to Russia.
The new factory, which is planned for a repository in the Yelabuga region several hundred kilometers east of Moscow, would enable the Russian military to have its own domestically produced source of attack drones. Iran is providing materials for the plant, said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who added that the facility could be operational next year.
Plans for the factory had been known for some time. The Wall Street Journal reported plans for a potential drone factory in Yelabuga in February, and the White House released a satellite image of the factory’s intended location in early April.
An examination of satellite imagery by The New York Times shows a series of new buildings built in the industrial area since 2021. Construction on the buildings flagged by the White House in declassified intelligence began in late January 2021 and a small building was constructed. recently added, the Times review found.
By releasing the declassified information, US officials are trying to increase pressure on Iran and make it more difficult to complete the job. On Friday, Mr Kirby also said the United States would issue a new advisory designed to help companies around the world ensure “they are not inadvertently contributing” to Iran’s drone programme.
An important part of the US strategy to help Ukraine is to prevent Russia from gaining access to new military equipment or rebuilding its depleted supplies. And obstructing trade between Russia and Iran is one of the key elements of that effort.
Russian ships are currently carrying drones from Amirabad, Iran, across the Caspian Sea to Makhachkala, Russia, according to the White House. From there they will be transported to two bases: one northeast of Ukraine and one east of Ukraine. They are then used to attack Ukrainian targets.
Mr Kirby said arms trade between Iran and Russia went both ways.
“Russia has offered Iran unprecedented defense cooperation, including missiles, electronics and air defense,” he said, adding that Iran had struck a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia and was seeking attack helicopters, radars and missiles. combat aircraft. .
Washington believes the drone purchases violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and has imposed sanctions on Iranian companies involved in designing, building and transporting the drones.
Mr Kirby described Iran-Russia cooperation as “a full defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to Iran’s neighbors and to the international community”.