Russia obtaining on-ground support from Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Crimea: UK Intel

Amid the ongoing brutal war in Eastern Europe, British intelligence stated that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has reportedly been backing Russian drone assaults on Ukraine from the Crimean territory. Apart from this, the United States has also voiced the same indication. 

According to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council of the United States, Iran dispatched personnel to help Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces to fire drones produced in Iran against Ukraine's power plants and other critical infrastructure. 

Furthermore, UK officials reported that this includes personnel of a division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, one of the most potent paramilitary groups in the Middle East, Sky News reported. This intelligence assessment came as US President Joe Biden tries to put pressure on Tehran to stop assisting Russia on a global scale. 

According to Sky News, Moscow has recently stepped up the use of its own Kalibr and Iskander cruise missiles as well as Iranian-supplied drones to launch a barrage of assaults against Ukrainian infrastructure and non-military targets. 

Referring to it, Kirby claimed, “The information we have is that the Iranians have put trainers and tech support in Crimea, but it's the Russians who are doing the piloting." Further, he continued by saying that a fresh round of sanctions against Tehran may be considered by the Biden administration and efforts will be made to make it more difficult for Iran to export such weapons to Russia. 

UK government imposed sanction against Iran

Besides this, the British government is implementing fresh sanctions against Iranian individuals and businesses that have provided Russia with kamikaze drones that have been used to assault Ukraine. According to a press release from the UK government, Iran has been actively waging war by providing drones, "profiting off Russia’s abhorrent attacks on Ukrainian citizens" adding to the people's misery and causing vital infrastructure to be destroyed.  

The release further noted that both Russia and Iran have been violating a UN Security Council Resolution that regulates the transfer of these weapons from Iran.  

It is worth mentioning that numerous "kamikaze" drones were launched by Russia into Ukraine this week, damaging energy infrastructure and killing five people in Kyiv, the nation's capital. While Moscow rejected using Iranian drones in its Tuesday strike on Ukraine, Tehran denies sending the drones to Moscow, The Guardian reported.  

Further, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, "Iran’s support for Putin’s brutal and illegal war against Ukraine is deplorable. Today we are sanctioning those who have supplied the drones used by Russia to target Ukrainian civilians. This is clear evidence of Iran’s destabilising role in global security."  

Meanwhile, Iran, on the other hand, declared that it "has not and will not" provide Moscow with weapons for use in the war, in response to claims that Russia has been employing Iranian weapons in Ukraine. 

(Image: AP)