Russia running low on stocks of Iranian-made drones, claim EU officials

New Delhi: Russia is running low on stocks of Iranian-made drones, according to the latest assessments by European officials.

“The use of the drones against Ukraine has fallen significantly over the past 10 days,” The National report quoted the officials as saying.

Previously, dozens of drones were regularly used against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, although most were shot down by the country’s air defences.

In December last year, the Ukrainian government, without revealing the source of the information, had said that Russia received an order of 250 drones from Iran.

Citing a source, the report said that Russia is always looking to buy additional drones and other military equipment from Iran and other countries.

The shortage of supplies comes as the length of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine approaches one year, and while Moscow’s soldiers are stepping up their attacks, fighting has stalled in eastern regions.

Russian efforts to undermine Ukraine’s vital infrastructure have increasingly relied on drones and missiles, added the report.

Tehran key supplier of drones

Ukraine’s allies have identified Tehran as a key supplier for Moscow’s war efforts.

Evidence shared among countries shows that drones seen in Ukraine have matching features with Iranian-made drones seen elsewhere, a source told The National.

Parts recovered in Ukraine, including engines and wing stabilisers, are also the same, the source added.

According to the report, the lull could be due to the fact Russia is saving stocks for future attacks.

G7, EU choke supplies

The G7 and the EU have been attempting to stymie the flow of supplies, concentrating in particular on foreign firms and Russia’s access to any western components that might be used for military purposes.

The EU is discussing sanctions and export restrictions on seven Iranian entities this week, including those linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as it tried to stop evasion of its sanctions.

“We propose, among other things, export restrictions on multiple electronic components used in Russian armed systems, such as drones, missiles, helicopters,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week.

With inputs from agencies

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