Iran sent aid to the Russians to the occupied Crimea
They emphasize that the use of Iranian instructors indicates Iran’s deeper involvement in the war against Ukraine.
Iran sent instructors to the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine to help the occupiers work with Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.
This was reported by the New York Times.
Iranian specialists work at the Russian base in Crimea, where the drones are based after their delivery from Iran.
“Sending drones and trainers to Ukraine deeply involved Iran in the war on Russia’s side and directly involved Tehran in operations that killed and wounded civilians,” said Mick Mulroy, a former senior Pentagon official and retired CIA officer.
According to the publication, initially Russia sent its personnel to Iran for training, but the Russian military still makes mistakes when using kamikaze drones, which makes them ineffective. Therefore, according to NYT sources, Iran sent its instructors to the occupied Crimea.
It is emphasized that Iranian personnel are far from the combat zone. It is also not known whether the instructors themselves control the drones or just conduct training.
At the same time, the US believes that the use of Iranian drones by Russia indicates the effectiveness of Western sanctions. Russia has problems with the domestic production of weapons.