WASHINGTON — Russia has received short-range ballistic missiles from Iran and is expected to use them on the Ukrainian battlefield within weeks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Tuesday.
“The supply of Iranian missiles enables Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets that are further from the front line, while dedicating the new missiles it’s receiving from Iran to closer range targets,” Blinken said in a news conference in London alongside his British counterpart, David Lammy.
In exchange, Blinken said Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks, including on nuclear issues and space.
Blinken and Lammy announced Tuesday that they will be jointly traveling to Ukraine this week.
The leaders of the Group of Seven world powers threatened in March to respond to any Iranian missile transfer with coordinated sanctions, including with a possible ban on Iran Air flights to Europe.
The missile delivery is evidence of a deepening military partnership that’s already seen Iran send hundreds of cheap, one-way attack drones to Russia during its 2½-year war against Ukraine. Western officials say Russia has used the Iranian-supplied drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses while targeting civilians and critical infrastructure across the country.
Gregory Brew, Eurasia Group’s country analyst for Iran, said the Iranian-provided ballistic missiles will free up Russia to use its own missiles against targets deeper inside Ukraine.
“Hundreds of Iranian short-range ballistic missiles augment Russia’s existing capabilities and suggest that it may be gaining even more of an upper hand over Ukraine,” Brew told Al-Monitor.
The missile delivery was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.