Iranian troops are in Crimea to help the Russian military operate drones provided by Tehran to strike Ukraine, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Thursday, Reuters and AFP reported.

“We can confirm that Russian military personnel in Crimea have flown Iranian UAVs and used them to launch kinetic strikes across Ukraine, including during strikes on Kyiv in recent days,” Price said during a press conference, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles.

“We believe that the Iranian military was in Crimea and helped Russia in these operations,” he added. “I don’t know the number of Iranians who are in Crimea,” he said, implying that they are still in place with Russian forces.

“Russia has received dozens of drones so far and will continue to receive more,” the spokesman continued, noting that the United States fears that Russia is now seeking to acquire Iranian conventional weapons such as surface-to-air missiles for use in Ukraine.

Thus, Ned Price’s statements confirm what the Washington Post wrote last weekend, citing military officials on condition of anonymity.

Iranian technical advisers have visited Russian-controlled territory in recent weeks to provide instructions on how to operate the drones, officials said.

American military officials have said, according to the Washington Post, that Iran is not only preparing to send more drones, but also plans to send ballistic missiles to Russia.