Iran plans to provide Russia with missiles but wants to limit their range due to a potential international backlash, Axios reported, citing four senior Israeli officials.
Russia has been using Iranian-made kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine since September, launching attacks against civilians and destroying energy facilities across the country.
Tehran initially denied supplying Moscow with drones but later admitted delivering them, claiming it happened before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. There is overwhelming evidence that Iran continued supplying drones during the invasion.
According to the Axios report, the Western pressure “has not fully deterred Tehran from planning to send the missiles to Russia, and it intends to go ahead with the deliveries soon.”
“But, in an effort to mitigate the international fallout and not violate the Security Council resolution, Iran plans to give Russia only missiles with a range of fewer than 300 kilometers and modify other missiles so they stay within the parameters of the resolution,” the Israeli officials said, as quoted by Axios.
The same day, the European Union added four individuals to the list of sanctions against Iran, as well as four entities “for their role in the development and delivery of UAVs used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.”
The U.K. Defense Ministry said on Dec. 10 that it expects Iran’s support for the Russian military to grow in the coming months. The ministry called Tehran “one of Moscow’s top military backers” worldwide and said that Russia is attempting to obtain more weapons from Iran, “including hundreds of ballistic missiles.”
“In return, Russia is highly likely offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support that is transforming their defense relationship... If Russia succeeds in bringing a large number of Iranian ballistic missiles into service, it will likely use them to continue and expand its campaign of strikes against Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure,” the U.K. Defense Ministry said.
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Thursday, September 18
Dmitry Kozak, a longtime associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin and one of the few senior Russian officials to oppose the invasion of Ukraine, has reportedly resigned from his post as the Kremlin's deputy chief of staff.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine will receive Patriot and HIMARS missiles as part of a U.S. weapons package financed by NATO allies.
The drone, whose model was not disclosed, flew over several sensitive sites, including government buildings and the presidential residence, on the evening of Sept. 15.
Washington and Kyiv will invest $75 million each to kickstart the Ukraine reconstruction investment fund that gives the U.S. special access to mineral sites and other projects in Ukraine, the Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev told journalists on Sept. 17.
"Today, they are all safe in Ukraine, receiving psychological support, restoring their documents, and taking their first steps toward a peaceful new life," Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said.
Germany's previously cautious position on seizing the assets has shifted recently, partly as a result of fears that if the U.S. completely pulls aid to Ukraine, the burden to support Kyiv will fall disproportionately on Berlin, according to Bloomberg.
(Updated: )
The trip marks European Parliament President Roberta Metsola's fourth visit to Ukraine's capital since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelensky will lead a delegation to New York next week to attend the high-level week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
The Kyiv Independent’s Kate Tsurkan sits down with internationally renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei during his first exhibition in Ukraine dedicated to Russia's full-scale war.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Sept. 11 that the incident "could have been a mistake."
The man, who identified himself as Evans and said he was an athlete in civilian life, said he traveled to Russia as a tourist and was deceived into joining the Russian army.
(Updated: )
The aid will be the first use of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism developed by NATO members and the United States to coordinate and fund Kyiv's most urgent battlefield needs.
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