Sky News: The Islamic Republic has built a new attack drone for Russia

Sky News has reported, citing a knowledgeable security source, that the Islamic Republic has built a new attack drone for Russia to be used in the war against Ukraine. The source also indicates that Tehran appears to be nearing an agreement with Moscow for the delivery of ground-to-ground missiles to Russia. According to the report, the new drone, Shahed-107, is an 'explosive and reconnaissance' unmanned aerial vehicle, likely equipped with advanced technologies and intended for searching valuable targets on the battlefield, such as British and American multiple launch rocket systems in the possession of Ukrainian forces. The source told Sky News that 'several units' of this specially designed drone may have been offered to Russia in a deal worth over two million dollars. The design of this drone reflects significant activity by the Islamic Republic to support Russian interests in Ukraine. Ukraine and its Western allies have previously accused the Islamic Republic of supplying hundreds of one-way attack drones, 'Shahed-131' and 'Shahed-136', to Moscow. These models are referred to as 'suicide drones' because they fly towards a target and explode upon impact. Russia uses a combination of drone and missile attacks in its deadly assaults against military and civilian targets in Ukraine, penetrating Ukraine's air defense systems, which have been equipped with Western support. The security source states that the new drone, 'Shahed-107', belongs to the family of 'Shahed-101' unmanned aerial vehicles with a 'V' shaped tail. This drone, approximately 2.5 meters long with a three-meter wingspan, can be launched from a vehicle and has an estimated range of up to 1500 kilometers. The security source also claimed that the Islamic Republic's security forces recently conducted a test with the presence of Russians at an airbase in central Iran, which included Shahed-107 and Shahed-136 drones. Meanwhile, Ebrahim Raisi denied last September that the Islamic Republic was sending drones or other weapons to Russia for use in the Ukraine war. He stated on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that the Islamic Republic is 'opposed' to the Ukraine war. However, Sky News revealed a military contract last year that for the first time provided strong evidence that the Islamic Republic sold munitions to Russia. According to a Ukrainian source, the claim of the Islamic Republic building a new type of drone is 'likely true'. The source stated, 'We have many concerns about the potential supply of such drones. The Russian invasion relies heavily on Iranian drones and is constantly modernizing them. They are trying to speed up the drones so that Ukrainian defense forces are forced to use more expensive air defense systems.' The Ukrainian source mentioned that Russia is now capable of assembling the 'Shahed-136' system at facilities in Tatarstan, located 800 kilometers east of Moscow. According to this source, production capacity is expected to reach around four thousand units by next year. Experts believe that if this news is confirmed, the construction of a new drone would indicate Iran's growing military production capabilities and the significance of this country for Russia's military operations. The collaboration between Tehran and Moscow becomes even more significant with the delivery of Iran's ground-to-ground ballistic missiles to Russia, which are far deadlier than drones. The security source states that based on credible information, it appears that Iran and Russia have extended their arms agreement, and Moscow expects to receive precise ground-to-ground missile systems from Tehran soon. These weapons include missiles with a range of over 300 kilometers. Earlier this month, an American official stated in U.S. media that the Islamic Republic is preparing to begin supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, previously described the development and proliferation of missiles and related technology by the Islamic Republic as 'one of the greatest challenges to international peace and security'. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force announced on Sunday, January 7, that Russia attacked Ukraine with 28 explosive drones and three cruise missiles in the previous 24 hours, adding that the country's air defense systems shot down 21 of these drones. Earlier, the office of Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, wrote on the social media platform X on Friday, January 5, 'There is no longer any concealment. The Russian Federation, with the clear aim of genocide, attacked Ukrainian territory for the first time with missiles received from North Korea.' Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Zelensky, did not provide evidence that these missiles were made in North Korea. However, John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator, referred on Thursday, January 4, to the agreement between Russia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and North Korea for the purchase of military weapons. Kirby expressed concern about the progress of negotiations between the Islamic Republic and Russia for the sale of short-range ballistic missiles to Moscow and the purchase of ballistic missiles from North Korea.