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Russia and Iran are considering joint production of deadly drones, NBC News reports.
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“Iran has become Russia’s top source of military aid,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
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Russia launched a new attack on Ukraine on Saturday using Iranian-made drones, according to reports.
According to NBC News, a senior US official said Russia is considering working with Iran on weapons development, which would include setting up a joint production line for deadly drones.
“This partnership poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to Iran’s neighbors in the region,” a senior official said, according to NBC News.
This was later confirmed by US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, who on Friday said the US had seen reports that the two countries were considering setting up a drone assembly line in Russia. reported BBC News.
“Russia is seeking cooperation with Iran in areas such as weapons development and training,” he told the press.
“Iran has become the top source of Russian military assistance,” Kirby continued, according to BBC News. , depriving them of heat and vital services.The Ukrainian people are dying today as a result of Iran’s actions.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia launched a new attack on Ukraine on Saturday morning using Iranian-made drones. The Ukrainian command said it had shot down 10 unmanned aerial systems in the Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions, according to the newspaper.
Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations, Barbara Woodward, said Friday that Iran has transferred hundreds of drones to Russia since August, according to The Guardian. She added that these were used in Ukraine to “kill civilians and illegally target civilian infrastructure,” The Guardian reported.
Woodward also said Russia wants “hundreds” of ballistic missiles from Iran and is offering “unprecedented” military assistance in return.
For months, Russia has been using Iranian-made drones, most notably the Shahed-136 suicide drone, to carry out deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities, according to insider Jake Epstein. rice field.
On Tuesday, an unnamed Western official said Moscow appeared to be running out of Iranian-made drones, but ABC News reported that it was expecting a “supply”.
Iran initially denied sending drones to Russia, but later admitted it had provided drones before it invaded Ukraine, BBC News reported.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Saturday:
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