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| Russian Military Reportedly Received Mohajer-6 and Shahed Series Drones From Iran |
Moscow - The Kremlin has denied a Washington Post report that said Iran had supplied Russian troops with combat drones for use in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper had been involved in a bit of "information-filling" of late, and rejected claims that Moscow had taken delivery of drones from Tehran.
Nevertheless, Peskov noted that Russia's relations with Iran are developing dynamically and will continue to develop.
The response came after the Washington Post published an article on Monday alleging that Iran had sent drones to Russia, citing unnamed US and allied officials. The report said Tehran had transferred a number of Mohajer-6 and Shahed series drones to Moscow and many of them were out of service.
In July, United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made a similar claim, stating Washington has clear evidence that Iran is preparing to deliver several hundred drones to Russia, including weapons-capable UAVs, and the sale will take place at an accelerated time.
Later that same month, the White House softened its accusations. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby acknowledged that Washington did not actually have evidence of the deal. "We see no indication of the actual delivery and/or purchase of Iranian drones by the Russian Ministry of Defense," Kirby said.
Tehran has also rejected claims of any drone deal with Moscow, insisting that it will not take sides in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and will continue to push for a peaceful resolution.