About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

1 1 (November 4, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govejhs0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional                                                     ____
~ Research Service
Iran's Transfer of Weaponry to Russia for Use
in Ukraine
November 4, 2022
Since August 2022, according to the Biden Administration, Iran has transferred armed unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs, or drones) to Russia, which has used them against a range of targets in Ukraine. U.S.
officials express concern that Russia may seek to procure missiles from Iran. These transfers (and
potential transfers of ballistic missiles) have implications for the trajectory of the conflict in Ukraine as
well as for U.S. efforts to support Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion. Other policy
considerations for the Administration and for Congress include sanctions on entities involved in the arms
transfers and potential action at the United Nations (U.N.).
Background
In July 2022, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated, our information indicates that the Iranian
government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs. In late August, the
Washington Post reported that Russia had picked up scores of Iranian drones. Ukrainian officials
estimated in October 2022 that Russia had ordered around 2,000 UAVs from Iran, of which hundreds
had been delivered; the U.S. Department of Defense assesses that Iranians have been on the ground in
Ukraine to assist Russia with the drone operations there. Russian and Iranian officials deny the use of
Iranian UAVs in Ukraine.
These drones (the Shahed-131 and 136) have a range of 900 and 1,500 kilometers, respectively. They
have a slow speed, making them vulnerable to man-portable air defense and even small arms. Ukraine
appears to have been successful at downing a significant percentage of the Iranian drones, but some
continue to evade defenses. It is unclear how many of Ukraine's medium- and long-range air defense
systems remain operational.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN12042
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

profiles profiles most