Iran Could Send Drones To Russia - ISW

Iran could send the first batch of drones to Russia, hoping to receive Russian Su-35 military aircraft in return. This is stated in the report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts emphasized that the information about the transfer of Iranian UAVs is "initial and unconfirmed."

"Iran has allegedly sent a batch of UAVs to Russia along with Iranian pilots and technicians who will be trained in the use and maintenance of Russian Su-35 aircraft," ISW writes, referring to OSINT monitoring data on Twitter, which in turn received the information from unofficial Iranian sources.

ISW experts say the data is consistent with recent reports that Tehran and Moscow are expanding aviation cooperation to circumvent international sanctions and support Russia's war in Ukraine.

"If this claim is correct, Iran could receive Russian Su-35 jets in exchange for drones, which could be part of an agreement signed by Moscow and Tehran on July 26," the report said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, according to the media, on July 19, Putin visited Iran to negotiate the supply of Iranian drones.

At the same time, on July 20, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed up for a meeting with Putin somewhat late, which made the Russian leader grimace and shuffle.

On July 20, analysts at the American Institute for the Study of War reported that Putin could use the nuclear threat to deter Ukraine's counteroffensive against the occupied Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.

The agreement stipulated that Iran would increase the volume of passenger flights to Russia and repair Russian aircraft.