European officials expect Iran to deliver ballistic missiles to Russia soon, a move that could prompt a swift response from ally Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said.
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(Bloomberg) — European officials expect Iran to send ballistic missiles to Russia soon, a move that could prompt a swift response from ally Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said.
Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of drones during Russia’s 2 1/2-year war against Ukraine, but the potential transfer of ballistic missiles would signal a worrying development in the conflict, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidentiality. estimate.
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He declined to give an estimate on the type and scope of deliveries or a timeline, though one official said shipments could begin within days. Ballistic missiles typically fly faster than cruise missiles or drones — and can carry larger payloads.
The US and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have repeatedly warned Tehran against such a move and are pushing ahead with diplomatic efforts to prevent it from happening. The US National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran’s Foreign Ministry and its mission to the UN did not respond to inquiries.
Ukrainian forces are struggling to stop Russian advances in the eastern Donetsk region as cities and energy infrastructure are already under a sustained bombing campaign in the third season of the war. Kyiv was attacked early Monday with cruise and ballistic missiles and drones, with seven of the 16 ballistic missiles evading air defenses.
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Moscow’s ballistic missile arsenal includes Russian North Korean hardware and is less accurate. The attack on the capital today included home-made Iskander-M missiles as well as North Korea’s KN-23 model, which were launched from the Bryansk, Kursk and Voronezh regions, all bordering Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s air defense forces.
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Ukraine’s allies are struggling to meet promises made earlier this year to strengthen the war-torn country’s air defense system. Several NATO allies have yet to follow through on commitments reaffirmed at the alliance’s summit in Washington in July, Bloomberg reported last month.
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The development is a bleak moment for Ukraine, which has lost power-generating capacity as residents increasingly rely on diesel generators grapple with long blackouts. The prospect of restoring power before summer is increasingly challenging.
Russia’s war economy has been able to produce missiles and munitions at a pace that often exceeds the ability of Ukraine’s allies to deliver weapons. Moscow can also rely on shipments from countries like Iran and North Korea, while maintaining its own manufacturing capacity with key technologies and components from countries including China.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pushed allies to increase supplies and limit restrictions on strikes deep into Russian territory. His government said the strikes were necessary to attack airfields and launchers used to attack Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
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Last month’s surprise attack on Russia’s Kursk region has so far failed to derail Moscow’s formidable advances.
The transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia would be accompanied by additional sanctions against Iran, although their effectiveness is uncertain given the measures already targeting Tehran, including the supply of drones to Moscow. Among the previous measures discussed by the allies is a new ban on Iran Air.
The Group of Seven countries are also expected to swiftly condemn all transfers and raise concerns with governments in the Middle East through diplomatic channels, the people said.
The G-7 has imposed sanctions on Iran and North Korea for supplying arms to Russia. The group seeks to impose restrictions on companies in China and elsewhere that supply Russian parts and technology needed by Moscow to make weapons – or for components found there. More recent restrictions have targeted companies and individuals who allow such transactions.
—With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska and Josh Wingrove.
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