The Kremlin flatly denied on Thursday a Financial Times report that Russia was close to completing a shipment of attack drones to Iran, where a United States and Israeli air campaign has been ongoing since February.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, responding to questions about the report, dismissed the claims, saying there was widespread disinformation circulating. “One thing is true,” Peskov added, “we continue our dialogue with the Iranian leadership.”
The Financial Times, citing Western intelligence officials, reported on Wednesday that Russia was close to completing a phased shipment of drones, medicine and food to Tehran. The drones in question are believed to be Geran-2 systems, Russian-produced variants of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, which Moscow has been manufacturing since 2023 for use in Ukraine. If confirmed, the drone transfers would represent the first known weapons shipment from Moscow to Tehran since the war began on February 28.
Antonio Giustozzi, a senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the Financial Times that Iran was not simply seeking more drones but more advanced capabilities, and that discussions between Tehran and Moscow about drone deliveries began immediately after the United States and Israeli strikes commenced.
Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that Russia had shared intelligence about the location of United States military assets in the region, including aircraft and warships, with Tehran. When asked about that report, United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon was “not concerned.”
United States special envoy Steve Witkoff also reiterated Moscow’s denial and said Washington was taking Russia “at their word.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s recent strikes on targets in the Caspian Sea were reportedly intended to disrupt the alleged Russian shipments. Ukraine, drawing on years of anti-drone combat experience, separately sent drone interception experts to the Persian Gulf region to share expertise in countering Shahed-type drones.
