(Reuters) – Russia’s military cooperation with Iran will not be affected by geopolitical pressure, stated Sergei Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, in response to reports that the U.S. has requested Iran to cease selling drones to Moscow.
Ryabkov, as reported by Russian state news agency RIA, emphasized that there are no changes in the current situation and that cooperation with Iran will continue. He added, “We are independent states and do not yield to the demands of the United States and its allies.”
The United States is actively urging Iran to halt the sale of armed drones, which Russia has been utilizing in the conflict in Ukraine, as per the Financial Times. The source for this information was an Iranian official and another individual familiar with the negotiations.
Since last year, Russia has been employing Iranian-manufactured Shahed drones to conduct deep attacks inside Ukraine. These drones, commonly known as kamikaze unmanned drones, are capable of launching without a runway and self-destruct upon impact.
Iran has admitted to providing drones to Russia, but has maintained that these shipments were made prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Conversely, Moscow has denied employing Iranian drones in Ukraine.
A White House official revealed in June that Iran had transferred hundreds of drones to Russia since August 2022.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Warsaw; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
