Russia is sending upgraded drones used in the Ukraine war to Iran,
officials say
[March 28, 2026]
By EMMA BURROWS
LONDON (AP) — Russia is sending a shipment of drones to Iran including
upgraded versions of the drone technology that Tehran originally
supplied to Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine, U.S. and European
officials told The Associated Press this week.
Iran has been firing drone barrages at Israel, its Gulf neighbors and
U.S. bases across the Middle East for more than a month following the
U.S. and Israeli attack on the country. While Iran has its own stocks of
Shahed drones, Russia has made improvements to the design during the war
in Ukraine, including adding better navigation capabilities.
Russian and Iranian officials have had “very active” discussions this
month regarding transferring drones from Russia to Iran, the European
intelligence official told AP. A U.S. defense official said it is
unclear if the shipment is a one-time delivery or part of a series.
Neither official could say how significant the delivery is or how many
drones were sent. Another European official said a small number of
drones would not have a major impact on the outcome of the war. All the
officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The U.S. defense official said Moscow’s motivation in giving Tehran more
advanced drones is also unclear given that every munition sent to Tehran
is one Russia is not able to launch at Ukraine.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told AP that “nothing provided to
Iran by any other country is affecting our operational success." She
said the U.S. military has struck more than 10,000 targets and destroyed
more than 140 Iranian naval vessels leading to Iran's missile attacks
and drone attacks decreasing by 90%. The Pentagon did not respond to a
request for comment.
The European official said their intelligence suggests a drone shipment
is on its way, but that they could not confirm exactly how the drones
are being transported. Two convoys of trucks carrying what Russia has
described as humanitarian aid have traveled to Iran from Russia via
Azerbaijan and it's possible they could contain drones, the European
official said.
The Russian Embassy in the Azerbaijani capital Baku said that seven
trucks with 150 tons of food and other aid crossed to Astara in northern
Iran on Friday while Russia's Emergency Ministry said 313 tons of
medicine also was delivered to Astara by rail, the Interfax news agency
reported.
A second European official said their country hasn’t been able to
confirm Russian drone transfers to Iran, but said if drones are being
transported by truck, their numbers are likely small and could be a
largely symbolic gesture to maintain Moscow’s relations with Tehran.
Moscow is helping Iran with targeting, the official added.
Russia and Iran are sharing intelligence
The U.K.’s latest defense intelligence assessment says Russia almost
certainly provided training and intelligence, including on types of
drones and electronic warfare, with Iran ahead of the war in the Middle
East. Iran is also sharing information with Russia “quite generously,”
the European intelligence official said, adding that Russian officials
knew that Ali Larijani — a top Iranian security official — was dead
before the rest of the world.
But Russia's relationship with Iran has been rocky, the European
official said, adding that Iranian officials felt “deeply disappointed”
after Russia did not help Iran during its 2025 conflict with Israel
which led to Trump ordering an attack on three key Iranian nuclear
sites.
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This undated photograph released by the Ukrainian military's
Strategic Communications Directorate shows the wreckage of what Kyiv
has described as an Iranian Shahed drone downed near Kupiansk,
Ukraine. (Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate
via AP, File)
Asked on Thursday about reports in the Financial Times that Russia
was supplying drones to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
described them as “false news stories."
Russia and Iran signed a $1.7 billion deal for Iran's Shahed drone
technology after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022
and Moscow began using the Iranian imports in battle later that
year.
The Iranian drones were first shipped disassembled to Russia but a
production line was later opened at the Alabuga plant in Russia's
central Tatarstan region. The plant has since rapidly expanded and
recruited more workers including African women who say they were
tricked into making drones.
Russia produced more advanced versions of Iran's drones
Russian specialists have adapted and refined the Shahed drone by
creating decoys with no explosives that are designed to overwhelm
air defenses. They also have variously added jet engines, cameras,
advanced anti-jammers, radio links, AI computing platforms or
Starlink internet devices.
Drone debris found in Ukraine also indicates further cooperation
between Iran and Russia on war technology, including exchanges in
advanced anti-jamming systems and jet-powered engines that also are
used to power Iran's cruise missiles.
The U.S. official said it is not clear which version or versions of
the drone Moscow is shipping to Iran.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian officials said Russian troops lost
access to their Starlink satellite internet terminals on the front
line after Ukraine asked Elon Musk’s SpaceX to help deny Russia use
of the service in Ukraine. Russian forces consequently lost
command-and-control capabilities and navigation for Starlink-capable
drones.
Moscow may be giving its Starlink-capable drones to Iran because it
has become more difficult for Russian forces to use them in Ukraine,
the U.S. official said. Or Moscow might be providing Iran with other
Shahed variants that are jet-propelled, use AI to pilot the drone
even without a signal or that are equipped with cameras for
reconnaissance, the U.S. official said.
More advanced drones create problems for the U.S and its allies
The delivery of advanced Russian drones to Iran could challenge the
ability of the U.S. and its allies to intercept incoming drones,
depending on how many Russian drones are sent or what Iran does with
the more advanced Russian technology, the official said.
Jet propelled drones are faster and therefore significantly harder
for the U.S's anti-drone system currently in the Middle East to take
down without relying on limited stocks of expensive high-end
weapons.
—-
AP Diplomatic Writer Matt Lee in Paris and White House correspondent
Aamer Madhani in Washington D.C. contributed to this report.
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