On the night of December 7, the Russian invaders attacked the infrastructure of Ukraine with Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.

The Russian army has returned to the use of Iranian drones after a three-week break.

At the same time, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Iran has not yet transferred any cruise missiles to Russia.

TSN.ua collected details about the new drone attack and the Kremlin's purchase of weapons in Iran.

"Shahedy" is back

On the night of December 7, Russia attacked Ukraine with Iranian attack drones.

The Ukrainian air defense managed to deal with 14 "mopeds", in particular, in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

The head of the United Coordination Press Center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine,

Nataliya Gumenyuk

, reported that the occupiers had stockpiled these drones for "consolidating strikes" on the infrastructure.

"They are continuing the methods of man-made terror and are trying to create an energy crisis in Ukraine... We warned that the enemy is trying to study and exhaust our air defense, which does not allow them to fully carry out their terror according to calculations," she said.

Humenyuk added that the enemy still has stocks of Shahed-136, so when the Russians do not attack with a certain weapon, it should not be assumed that it has run out.

According to Pentagon estimates, Iran handed over several hundred of its drones to Russia for the war against Ukraine.

How the Armed Forces explained the break in attacks

In the period from November 17 to December 7, when Russia did not use Iranian drones, the Armed Forces

explained the pause as weather conditions

.

Yevhen Silkin

, spokesman for the Strategic Communications Command of the United Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

, suggested that the aggressor stopped launching Iranian kamikaze drones because they cannot withstand the cold.

He explained that the Shahed-136 is made of plastic and other non-frost-resistant materials, which makes it difficult to use in freezing weather.

At the same time, Yuriy Ignat

, the spokesman of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

, claims that Iranian drones can be used in winter.

"Of course they can. Weather conditions affect any aircraft. For the Shahed, which has a large wing area, it's gusty winds, stormy weather and freezing from zero to minus where the fuselage can freeze. And so frost does not particularly affect their activities," he said.

At the same time, it is difficult for Ignat to say whether the occupiers used drones from the old or new batch this time.

He previously suggested that the first batch of drones had already finished.

Iran does not give Russia missiles

The international community could increase pressure on Iran to prevent the supply of weapons to Russia.

This opinion was expressed by a military expert, director of development of the information and consulting company Defense Express

Valery Ryabikh

on the "Freedom" channel.

Ryabykh commented on the information of the military intelligence of the Ministry of Defense that Iran has never supplied Russia with a single ballistic missile.

"There are certain levers that the international community uses, in particular, on such a state as Iran. In fact, we see that against the background of the actions of the terrorist state of the Russian Federation,

even Iran would not want to be an accomplice in these crimes

," he said. he.

The expert reminded that the air defense of Ukraine on the night of December 7 successfully repelled the attack of a large number of drones that were launched from the territory of Crimea.

"In essence, we must say that

Russia, not receiving missiles from Iran, is using up the stocks of drones that it previously managed to obtain

. Whether cooperation between the Russian Federation and Iran will be continued in the future on the drone program, we can see in the near future by the number of drones used by the Iranian production," Ryabih said.

Iranian weapons in the war against Ukraine

In autumn, Russia began actively launching Iranian Shahed-136 drones towards Ukraine.

The occupiers repainted them and renamed them "Geranium".

The main target of kamikaze drones was the energy infrastructure of Ukraine.

At first, Iran categorically denied that it had handed over its drones to Russia.

Later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran admitted that these were their drones, but stated that several drones were allegedly sold to Russia before February 24.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is negotiating with Iran to purchase ballistic missiles to replenish its stockpile.

According to German media, Russia has most likely ordered a large batch of drones and ballistic missiles from Iran again.

NATO Secretary General

Jens Stoltenberg

confirmed this information.

The US intends to focus all its forces on the disruption of potential supplies from Iran to Russia of weapons that can be used against Ukraine.

In addition, the Israeli government has said that it can transfer high-tech missiles to Ukraine if Iran provides ballistic missiles to Russia.

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