Iranian Army via timesofisrael.com
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could be training Russian troops to use suicide drones in their war against Ukraine. The suicide drones have already been linked to multiple deaths in Ukraine and attacks on civilian targets. A spokesman for the European Union has said the EU is now working toward new sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the Iranian drone inventory.
According to reports, IRGC-linked personnel may have been brought to Russia to train troops in the use of the Shahed-136 drones, another example of the increasingly closer ties between Moscow and Tehran. Earlier this week, at least four people were killed when multiple Iranian-made suicide drones were used in an attack on Kiev by Russian forces. Reports only state that the drone specialists are Iranian, but given that the IRGC are the primary operator of Iran’s drone inventory they believe it is “likely” either IRGC members or affiliated groups are behind the training. A Ukrainian official has confirmed that 10 Iranians who were training Russian soldiers have been killed during Ukrainian strikes in the past week.
The Ukrainian Resistance Centre said an “unspecified” number of IRGC weapons specialists have arrived in Crimea whilst other reports say the number could be up to 50 individuals. The Centre has also claimed that Iranian specialists are directly controlling the launches of suicide drones on civilian targets, including attacks in the Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts.
Tehran has repeatedly dismissed claims it is providing support to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine but after Ukraine shot down several of the Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones greater doubt has been cast on the Iranian position.
A report by the UK Ministry of Defence stated: “The loss of a Shahed-136 near the front lines suggests there is a realistic possibility that Russia is attempting to use the system to conduct tactical strikes rather than against more strategic targets further into Ukrainian territory”.
Following this news, a spokesman for the EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU was working towards new sanctions to be added onto a list of Iranian individuals and entities linked to the Iranian drone network. The spokesman said there was now “sufficient evidence” that Iran was supplying Russia with drones that have been used to kill Ukrainians. Mr Borrell noted that the transfer of drones to Russia could violate a UN resolution which prohibits Iran from exporting certain types of weapons.
The list of sanctions is expected to be finalised before EU leaders meet on Thursday.
