The war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Iran: the drone battle is global

Translated by Gaia Baraldi

Russia has increased intelligence sharing and military cooperation with Iran, providing satellite imagery and advanced drone technology to support Tehran in striking U.S. forces in the region.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Moscow is seeking to support its closest Middle Eastern ally in the fight against the military power of Israel and the United States, thereby prolonging a war that benefits it both militarly and economically.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the intensification of this cooperation last March: starting February 28, 2026, Moscow expanded intelligence sharing and military cooperation to help Tehran remain competitive in the conflict against US and Israeli military might. The Kremlin called the news "fake news."

Putin's Offer
To suspend cooperation with Iran if the U.S. cuts off aid to Ukraine: this is one of several proposals regarding the conflict in Iran that Russia has put forward to the United States, all of which have been rejected.

Moscow reportedly proposed to the White House a quid pro quo whereby the Kremlin would stop sharing intelligence information with Iran – such as the precise coordinates of US military bases in the Middle East – if Washington stopped providing Ukraine with intelligence on Russia.

The WSJ source added that the United States has also rejected a proposal to transfer Iran’s enriched uranium to Russia, a report first published by Axios.

The race for rearmament 

Six weeks of relentless aerial bombardment have drained the stockpile of air defense systems in the Middle East. Now the race for rearmament begins.

With a fragile ceasefire in place between the United States and Iran, America's closest allies in the region—and some of the top customers for US weapons systems—are searching globally for alternative missile defense systems, rushing to find solutions to strengthen their defenses. Several Iranian strikes have already hit military facilities in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, home to key US bases and strategic infrastructure.

While Moscow is actively supporting Tehran's war effort, the Gulf countries are looking for advanced, low-cost defense systems. This is where Ukraine comes in.

Drone Wars: The Strategic Convergence Between Ukraine and Iran

In the first months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Iran transferred its Shahed drones to Russia for use against Ukrainian cities, villages, and infrastructure. It later transferred drone production technology and established co-production lines within the Russian Federation. Moscow was soon began producing nearly 400 Shaded drones per day.

In Persian and Arabic, the word means “martyr” or “witness of faith.” In Iranian military rhetoric, the term evokes the idea of sacrifice and a final strike: the drone, in fact, is designed to hit its target by destroying itself on impact—a weapon that “sacrifices” itself to strike the enemy. Today, Iran and Ukraine are two interconnected theaters of war.

Now, as Russia's daily drone production increases, Kyiv's is far more advanced in terms of adaptation and effectiveness. According to a recent analysis by the Hudson Institute, Ukraine uses around 10,000 drones a day in the war. These drones strike deep into Russian territory and bypass Moscow's now obsolete defense systems. They eliminate front-line targets, responsible for nearly 80% of Russian losses, thousands every week. They protect Ukrainian lives, with defense drone systems shooting down Shahed ones thanks to reusable interceptors.

Over the course of more than four years of war, forced by the need to defend itself, Ukraine has developed a world-leading drone production and defense industry. Russia, however, is still capable of launching deadly mass attacks, such as last week’s strike that left 18 people dead. The Ministry of Defense in Kyiv has therefore announced plans to produce over 7 million drones by 2026 alone—a volume that most Western defense companies cannot match.

Ukrainian drones are also cost-effective. According to a recent report by the Snake Island Institute, an independent Ukrainian security center, a Kyiv interceptor costs up to ten times less than an Iranian Shahed, used by both Moscow and Tehran: between $3,000 and $5,000 versus $20,000 to $50,000.

According to an analysis by the Foreign Policy Research Institute, during the first 96 hours of Operation Epic Fury, Patriot missile defense batteries operated by the United States and its Gulf partners fired 943 rounds—including Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles—each costing approximately $4.5 million.

Now Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Qatar and the United Arab Emirates a way to shoot down Iranian drones at a cost of just a few thousand dollars instead of millions.
 
Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ® 2026

In an attack on April 15, 2026, Kyiv reportedly shot down 309 of the 324 drones launched by Russia across the country