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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The latest news about Russia's war against Ukraine.
Leaders signed the peace deal during a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt later in the day.
"What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
In Donetsk Oblast, volunteers from across the world serve in the International Battalion of Ukraine’s Azov Corps. On the battlefield dominated by drones, constant surveillance, and high-risk rotations, they navigate daily life and combat in one of the war’s most dangerous sectors.
The meeting, scheduled for Oct. 17, will follow two phone calls between the two leaders regarding Ukraine's air defenses and long-range capabilities.
The Kyiv Independent is pleased to announce its first ever live event in New York City, where the team will share stories from the life of a newsroom in times of war.
Ukrainian troops have liberated the village of Mali Shcherbaky in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine's 24th Separate Assault Battalion "Aidar" announced on Oct. 12, releasing footage purportedly showing Ukrainian soldiers in the settlement.
Speaking about past negotiations with Moscow, Trump said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff "had no idea about Russia, had no idea about Putin too much" at the time.
"We can’t simply wait and assume that a potential Russian attack won't come before 2029," German intelligence chief Martin Jaeger said. "We’re already under fire today."
This result contrasts with the relatively high level of trust he continues to enjoy among the public, according to the KIIS poll.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 13 for discussions with the Ukrainian officials on financial and military support.
"The topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Oct. 12. "Just imagine: a long-range missile is launched and is flying and we know that it could be nuclear."
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