Delivery of weaponry to Moscow marks a “dramatic escalation” in the war against Ukraine, Kyiv and Western officials warn.
| Iran has sent “hundreds” of ballistic missiles to Russia in what Kyiv officials said marks a “serious escalation” of Tehran’s support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The officials said the delivery of the Iranian short-range missiles would allow Russia to deploy its long-range hypersonic Kinzhal missiles – some of the most sophisticated weapons in the Kremlin’s arsenal – to hit targets deeper inside Ukraine. The Kinzhals are more difficult to intercept, with onlyAndriy Zagorodnyuk, a former Ukrainian defence minister and director of the Kyiv-based Centre for Defence Strategies, said the Iranian missiles pose a “huge threat”.
In exchange for its drones and missiles, Tehran has received greater security co-operation from Moscow and military technology, according to Ukrainian intelligence assessments.“The deepening of military-technical co-operation between Russia and Iran poses serious security threats not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe, the Middle East and the world,” said the foreign ministry in Kyiv.
A transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia would “represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine”, Savett said, echoingWeekend festival in London. “This partnership threatens European security and illustrates how Iran’s destabilising influence reaches beyond the Middle East.”
Russian officials could not immediately be reached for comment. G7 leaders warned Iran in March that sanctions would be imposed if it sent ballistic missiles to Russia.
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