New evidence points to Iran’s military support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict. Drone-mounted glide bombs are said to have been delivered.
Iran is apparently supplying Russia with drone-borne glide bombs. These would then be used on targets in Ukraine. According to the Telegraph, the advanced Qaem-5 glide bomb was discovered on the remains of a Mohajer-6 drone that crashed in the Kursk region of Russia. This discovery reinforces the assumption of deeper military support from Tehran for Moscow, the report says.
Assessments suggest that the drone was intended to be used for an attack on the Ukrainian border region of Sumy before it inexplicably crashed on Russian territory. A video posted on Russian social media clearly shows the glide bombs attached to the drone’s wings.
Despite repeated deliveries of Shahed kamikaze drones, artillery and tank ammunition, Iran has consistently claimed not to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Telegraph also reports that the US has warned Iran of an international response if it supplies ballistic missiles to Russia. There have been reports of possible arms transfers between the two countries late last year, although the White House has not yet confirmed such transfers.
Russia’s increasing use of glide bombs corresponds with reports of attacks behind the front line that evade Ukraine’s air defense systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of 3,200 guided bombs used against Ukraine in April alone. Glide bombs were also reportedly used in a Russian attack on a supermarket in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, in which at least 18 people were killed.