Moscow and Tehran are moving ahead with plans to build a new factory in Russia that could make at least 6,000 Iranian-designed drones for the war in Ukraine, the latest sign of deepening cooperation between the two nations, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Citing unnamed officials from a country aligned with the Unite States, the WSJ reported on February 5 that a high-level Iranian delegation flew to Russia in early January to visit the planned site for the factory and hammer out details to get the project up-and-running.
Iran and Russia are reportedly aiming to build a faster drone that could pose new challenges for Ukrainian air defenses.
According to the WSJ, the factory that is expected to be built in Yelabuga, Russia’s Tatarstan Republic is aimed at producing some 6,000 Iran-designed drones of the type Moscow has reportedly used in the Ukraine war.
According to official Kyiv, Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of its drones, including the kamikaze Shahed-136 models. Russia has reportedly been using these drones along with missiles to strike at critical infrastructure across Ukraine.
