Russia apparently intends to continue the war in Ukraine for a long time: together with Iran, the Kremlin wants to build a factory for up to 6,000 drones on Russian territory. Their mass and speed are designed to bring the Ukrainian air defense system to its knees.
For months, the Russian army has been waging drone and rocket attacks on Ukraine, killing dozens of civilians. As early as August 2022, Iran is said to have supported Russia in bringing the Ukrainian energy infrastructure to the brink of a blackout with a first delivery of drones. The terror against the civilian population is particularly perfidious with the small cheap drones from Iran. Because they can fly so low that they are difficult to detect by the air defense system. In addition, Russia is simultaneously attacking Ukraine with hordes of drones, bringing Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses to their knees. A few drones eventually reach their target and drop deadly explosive devices near gas lines, homes, and crowds.
But over the past year, rumors have spread that Russian forces are running out of Iranian drones. The distances between the attack waves increased and the number of drones used decreased. Russia needs more Iranian drones if it is to continue its strategy in the brutal war of annihilation against the Ukrainian nation. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin apparently wants to build a joint factory with Iran that will produce Iranian kamikaze drones on Russian territory. The Wall Street Journal ( WSJ ) reports that the aim is to produce up to 6,000 drones for attacks on Ukraine. It relies on unnamed US officials.
Russia relies on more and faster drones
Ukrainian forces shot down around 500 drones between September and January, according to air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat. 84 of these drones alone were launched from Russian territory in the first two days of the new year. “100 percent of the drones were shot down by air defenses. We have never had such results,” said Ihnat. Whether Russia runs out of supplies depends solely on Iranian capacity and readiness to deliver. According to the Ukrainian deputy intelligence chief Vadym Skibizkij, the contract between Russia and Iran so far provides for the delivery of 1,750 drones. More than 1000 of them have not even been delivered. “It takes time for delivery and preparation,” he said in an interview with Ukrainian media. The Russians have recently used up a large number of drones and have to replenish their stocks first.
According to the WSJ report, an Iranian delegation traveled to Russia in January to visit the planned site for the drone factory. Details of the drone deal were also worked out. “The two countries are aiming to build a faster drone that could pose new challenges to Ukraine’s air defenses,” the newspaper quoted US government officials as saying. Russian sources had claimed that the Russian-based armaments company Lobaev Arms had also been contracted to develop and produce the Iranian drones. She had previously manufactured sniper rifles and doubled production due to the high demand caused by the war. This information cannot be independently verified.
Iran inaugurated a drone-making factory in Tajikistan back in May 2022, the Institute for the Study of War ( ISW ) reports. Tajikistan is a member of the Russian-led military coalition, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Other members are Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. In the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan, Russia has one of its largest foreign military bases. The country is one of the poorest in the world and is heavily dependent on the Kremlin. The Foreign Ministry has always denied that Iranian drones are being built there for the war against Ukraine. But there are reportsthat even the Tajik Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces attended the opening of the drone plant.
source: rnd
