Guardian: Iranian Drone Shipments to Moscow Have Decreased; Islamic Republic Supplies Russia's Needs Through Syria and Tatarstan

The Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday, October 5, citing a Ukrainian government document, that the Islamic Republic is trying to distance itself from directly equipping Russia with weapons for use in the Ukraine war. The Guardian also added that the Ukrainian government, in a report presented to G7 members, stated that approximately 600 attacks with Iranian drones have been carried out against cities in Ukraine over the past three months. According to existing documents, the Islamic Republic no longer intends to directly meet Russia's needs and the increased use of drones in Ukraine; therefore, part of its arms production line has been moved to a factory in Syria, and it is now transferring drone production to the Alabuga region in Tatarstan while simultaneously supplying the necessary drone components to Russia. Another point raised in the Ukrainian government's report to its Western allies is that evidence from Kyiv shows that Iranian drones used in recent attacks on Ukrainian cities are filled with European components. According to the Guardian, the document sent to G7 leaders in August states that at least 52 electrical components made by Western companies have been discovered in the Shahed-131 drone and 57 components in the Shahed-136 model, which has a flight range of 2000 kilometers and a cruising speed of 180 kilometers. Five European companies from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland, a British multinational company, and companies based in the United States, Canada, and Japan are among the manufacturers whose products have been used in Iranian drones. Over the past year and a half since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Islamic Republic has become one of the main suppliers of weapons, particularly drones, to Moscow. This has coincided with international pressure, especially from Western countries, on the Iranian government. Despite the abundant evidence presented in the West so far, Tehran continues to insist that it has not sent drones to Russia 'for use in the Ukraine war.' In response, the Ukrainian government emphasizes with numbers that Iranian drones have attacked its cities. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Wednesday, October 5, sanctioned five entities and two individuals based in Iran, China, Hong Kong, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates in connection with the procurement of sensitive components for Iranian-made drones. The Treasury Department's statement noted that this network facilitated the transfer of shipments and financial transactions for the procurement of servo motors for 'Shahed' drones by the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. A 'servo motor' is a rotary actuator or linear actuator that allows for precise control of angular or linear position, velocity, and acceleration. The U.S. Treasury added that the Islamic Republic of Iran has provided 'Shahed-136' drones to support Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, and one of the servo motors purchased by the sanctioned network was found in the wreckage of a Shahed-136 drone recently shot down in Ukraine. Russia attacked a port in Ukraine with Iranian-made drones. The Ukrainian army reported that it shot down 19 Iranian-made 'Shahed' drones. In reaction to the Islamic Republic's missile display, the U.S. emphasized its commitment to countering Iran's destabilizing behavior. The display of drones and missiles in Tehran continues, highlighting the Islamic Republic's destabilizing actions in the region. The U.S. sanctioned individuals and entities in four countries due to their connections with Iranian aerospace manufacturing companies. The U.S. stated that the Iranian regime continues to lie about its military relations with Russia.