Moscow and Tehran will build a factory in Russia that will be able to supply more than 6,000 Iranian-developed drones for the war in Ukraine, officials in the US ally said, the Wall Street Journal reports, The Guardian reports.

Image of the Shahed 136 drone, which the Russians used to attack targets in UkrainePhoto: Oleksandr Gusev / Zuma Press / Profimedia

The Washington Post reported on the plan in November, noting that Russian and Iranian officials finalized the deal during a meeting in Iran earlier this month.

Three officials with access to the information told the US newspaper that the two countries would quickly hand over blueprints and key components that would allow production to begin within months.

The WSJ now reports that both governments are moving forward with the plans and that an Iranian delegation visited Russia in January to tour the plant.

There has been controversy over Iran’s supply of drones to Russia, which have killed civilians and destroyed critical infrastructure and homes since the war began.

Iran said it provided the drones, but they were sent before the war began.

However, data from Ukraine indicate that as the conflict continued, more and more were provided.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed in November 2022 that Iran wants to send not only drones, but also ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine.

“We see that Iran is offering drones and considering the possibility of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Istanbul. “This is unacceptable. No country should support Moscow in this illegal war.”

AnalysisThe Institute for the Study of War reported on November 2 that Iran wants to send more drones and new ballistic missile systems to Russia for use in Ukraine.

The European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on the Iranian company that produces Shahed drones and organizations that supply them to the Russian armed forces.

Ten Iranians training Russian soldiers were reportedly killed in Ukrainian strikes in the October-November war between Russia and Ukraine, a Ukrainian official told the KAN news agency, as cited by the Jerusalem Post.