Before the meeting, officials had said Mr Putin would seek Iran’s support for the war and drone supplies. Western intelligence agencies have said that Russia lost much of its drones in the first weeks of the war. He has also said that most of Russia’s Orlan drones are intended for reconnaissance rather than attack missions. Drones played an important role in the Ukraine-Russia war. Ukraine’s Turkish-made Bayraktar drones have struck Russian tanks and missile ships, while commercial drones have dropped grenades under tank hatches.
One of the best drones out there
Iran’s Shahed 129 drone – a large unmanned vehicle that can launch anti-tank missiles and transmit photos and videos – is considered one of the best. Modeled after the US MQ-1 Predator and Israel’s Hermes 450, it has a wingspan slightly shorter than the length of a London bus and can fly at around 100mph up to a range of 130 miles. Experts have described the Shahed 129 as “very capable” and the “backbone” of Iran’s drone fleet. Russian officials have not commented, but pro-Kremlin Russian military analysts have spoken about the Shahed 129’s potential impact. Gennady Alekhin, a Russian military analyst, said they could be transferred to Donetsk rebel units. “If the people’s militia gets the long-range attack drones [and that] force and accuracy of the destruction, then the situation on the front line can change dramatically,” he told the Gazeta.ru news website.
