WASHINGTON – Russia is attempting to buy “more powerful and deadlier versions” of Iranian attack drones as its stockpile of weapons runs out ahead of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive, the White House said on Monday.
Based on National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, Tehran has already supplied Moscow with greater than 400 armed drones to be used in Ukraine since August as part of an “unprecedented defense partnership.”
“Russia has released most of these UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles]using them to attack Ukrainian critical infrastructure,” Kirby said, accusing Iran of “directly enabling Russian aggression in Ukraine.”
He continued, in exchange for the drones, Iran demands “billion-dollar Russian military equipment,” including attack helicopters, “some radars,” and Joachim 30 combat trainers.
Nevertheless, Russia – which is already prepared for a military in Ukraine – would wish to offer Iranian forces with systems training.
“These should not objects which might be inseparable [or] organic to their stockpile,” Kirby said. “We might must assume that Russia would have trained on this.”
While Ukraine has benefited from continued military support from the US and greater than 50 other countries within the Pentagon-led Contact Group on .
“We’re using the tools at our disposal to show and disrupt these activities, and we’re able to do more,” Kirby added. “We are going to proceed to impose costs on entities involved within the transfer of Iranian military equipment to Russia to be used already in Ukraine.”
Along with drones, Tehran has also supplied Moscow with artillery and tank missiles, in addition to drone training – although each Russia and Iran proceed to disclaim any military connection.
Defense experts have been closely watching the developing relationship for months after most of the world isolated Russia following its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
“It’s extremely disturbing each time we see adversaries working together,” US Central Command chief Gen. Michael Kurilla told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March.
In September, Russia asked North Korea for rockets and “a major number of artillery shells,” the latter of which was secretly delivered in November, Kirby said on the time.
“We now have been clear with nations world wide… that we don’t consider now’s the time to facilitate [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to kill Ukrainians and further attempt to rob them of their sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
Now that Russia has few options to bolster its forces, officials fear Beijing and its advancing army could supply Moscow with weapons because the two totalitarian states draw closer.
“Immediately, we now have no indication that China has provided Russia with lethal aid,” said Pentagon Air Force spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Monday.
But Russia just isn’t alone in asking for help. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking partner countries in recent weeks for added donations of weapons – especially fighter jets – for the anticipated attack to liberate Russian-occupied territory in the approaching weeks.
Thus far, the US has refused to send the Ukrainian jets, and each Kirby and Ryder confirmed on Monday that there was no change of their stance.
“I feel you would just undergo all of the recent aid packages we have announced and see how much priority we now have given to the kinds of capabilities that Ukraine itself needs, and that features a heavy concentrate on air defense, akin to the Patriot [missile defense] systems,” said Kirby.
Nevertheless, the USA continues to produce other weapons that were previously hesitant to send. For instance, Washington agreed in January to send in M2 Abrams tanks after initially refusing to accomplish that.
Ryder said on Monday that the primary 31 tanks had recently arrived in Europe and US troops were preparing to coach Ukrainians on the systems.
“These crews are expected to reach and start training in the subsequent few weeks,” Ryder said. “This extensive training program for Ukrainian crews and maintainers is designed to arrange them for his or her future key roles and effectively operate a single tank and defend the Ukrainian people.”
As for Zelensky’s other requests, Kirby said “there’s not much left on the shopping list that hasn’t been ticked off,” other than the additional ammunition we’re working on.
“We concentrate on ensuring he has the tools and training [and] possibilities, so when it’s able to go down [into a counter-offensive,] can do it with confidence,” said Kirby. “We provided the vast, overwhelming majority of the kinds of capabilities that the Ukrainians said they needed to find a way to conduct offensive operations here within the spring.”