Iran admits supplying kamikaze drones to Russia
The Iranian authorities for the first time publicly acknowledged the supply of unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia. The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said that before Russia's war against Ukraine Teheran provided Moscow with a limited number of drones, reported the Iranian state news agency IRNA. At the same time, the Iranian Foreign Minister denies deliveries of drones after the start of the war, as well as shipping missiles to Russia. According to several media reports, Iran sent instructors to the annexed Crimea to train Russians in operating the drones and provide technical assistance.
A few days earlier, the Iranian Foreign Minister expressed readiness to hold bilateral meetings with Ukraine to discuss allegations about Russia's use of Iranian drones in the war.
Ukrainian military commanders and officials said the Ukrainian military had managed to shoot down several hundred Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.