White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on the 11th that Iran plans to provide Russia with hundreds of drones capable of combat weapons for use in the Ukraine war.
Sullivan said the information the U.S. has received supports the idea that Russian troops face challenges in maintaining their weaponry following heavy losses in Ukraine.
Sullivan told reporters that “the Iranian government is preparing to accelerate the schedule to provide Russia with as many as hundreds of drones, including those with weapons capabilities.”
“Our information provides further evidence that Iran is preparing to train Russian troops to use these drones, with an initial training program beginning as early as early July,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said it was unclear whether Iran had delivered any drones to Russia.
Sullivan also noted that Iranian drones have been used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia.
Drones have played a vital role on both sides of the Ukrainian war, including launching missiles from a distance, dropping small bombs at targets, and reconnaissance of artillery and ground forces.
The Ukrainian military has used the Turkish-made Bayraktar armed drone with significant success, and the United States and other allies have also supplied Ukraine with many types of small drones.
“From our perspective, we will continue to do our part to help maintain Ukraine’s effective defense and to help Ukrainians show that Russia’s efforts to wipe Ukraine off the map cannot succeed,” Sullivan said. .
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