The alleged use by Russia of Iranian-made drones in recent attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure has drawn condemnation from Kyiv and its allies, along with threats of Western retaliation and sanctions.
On Oct. 10, Russia carried out wide-ranging strikes across Ukraine, targeting what Moscow called “critical infrastructure.” A second wave of strikes on Oct. 17 caused even more damage, hitting energy facilities deep inside Ukrainian territory.
Thirty percent of Ukraine’s power stations were destroyed in the attacks, resulting in power disruptions throughout the country, officials in Kyiv said on Oct. 18.
Ukrainian officials also said the Russian strikes featured the use of Iranian-built “suicide drones,” which carry small warheads that detonate upon reaching their targets.
This wasn’t the first time that such claims have been made. Last month, Ukraine revoked the credentials of Iran’s ambassador to Kyiv amid allegations that Tehran was supplying Russia with advanced Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
Tehran and Moscow both deny claims that Russian forces are using Iranian drones against targets in Ukraine.
When asked directly about the issue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Oct. 18 that Russia’s ongoing operations in Ukraine relied solely on “Russian equipment with Russian nomenclature.”
On the same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani likewise dismissed the allegations as “baseless.”
Calls for Sanctions
However, the Russian and Iranian denials don’t appear to have satisfied Ukraine and its Western allies.Kyiv has invited U.N. experts to inspect what it says are downed Iranian drones, while several EU foreign ministers have called for the imposition of sanctions on Tehran over its alleged transfer of drones to Russia.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department said that if Iran was found to be supplying Russia with drones, it would constitute a breach of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231.
Adopted in 2015, that resolution provided the framework for a 2015 deal between Iran and six major powers—including the United States—that sought to curb Iran’s uranium-enrichment activities.
Although the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018, Western diplomats say the resolution includes restrictions on the export of certain military technologies by Iran, including drones intended for combat.
The United States, the UK, and France were expected to raise the issue at an Oct. 19 closed-door meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York.
NATO has announced plans to provide Ukraine with advanced air-defense systems in response to the latest round of Russian strikes.
Russia–Israel Tension
Claims that Russia is using Iranian drones in Ukraine may even lead to a policy shift by Israel, Iran’s arch-foe in the region.On Oct. 16, Nachman Shai, Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs, urged his country to step up military assistance to Kyiv. Until now, Israeli contributions to the Ukrainian war effort have been largely confined to nonlethal equipment.
Echoing claims in the U.S. media that Iran was supplying drones—and ballistic missiles—to Russia, Shai wrote on Twitter: “There is no longer any doubt where Israel should stand in this bloody conflict.
“The time has come for Ukraine to receive military aid [from Israel] as well, just as the USA and NATO countries provide.”
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, responded to Shai’s appeal by saying that such a move would be “very reckless” and that it would “destroy diplomatic relations between our two countries.”
Emerging tensions between Russia and Israel reflect fears of what appear to be Moscow’s deepening ties with Tehran.
Those fears were exacerbated in mid-September, when Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a formidable bloc of Eurasian states. The world’s largest regional bloc, the SCO was founded by Moscow and Beijing in 2001 to serve as a bulwark against U.S. regional influence.
Notably, Iran and Russia both support the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria, with which Israel has technically remained at war since its founding in 1948.
In recent months, Israel has ramped up attacks on targets in Syria, including Iranian military assets deployed in that country. Israel has stated that the attacks are aimed at preventing Iranian arms shipments from reaching Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
In August, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned what he described as “dangerous practices” by Israel after the latter struck several positions in Syria located close to a Russian military base.
