Russia shares Ukraine war tactics with Iran: Report
Reports are surfacing that Russia is taking a more active role in aiding Iranian forces in the war against Israeli and U.S. forces.
CNN reported on Wednesday that a Western intelligence official said Russia is now providing Iran with more detailed advice on drone operations, drawing on tactics Moscow has used in Ukraine. The allegation comes as Iran uses drones and other attacks against U.S. and Gulf nation targets in the region. CNN didn’t say where the unnamed official was from beyond using the term “Western,” which could include intelligence from Ukraine or other Russian opponents.
Why the drone-tactics claim matters
The reporting suggests the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are already linked through drone warfare. CNN reported that Iran designed the Shahed drones that Russia now mass-produces for use in Ukraine, and that the same systems have been unexpectedly effective at penetrating Gulf air defenses.
At the same time, The Washington Post reported that Russian state media and political commentators are using the U.S.-Israeli campaign in Iran to argue that negotiations with Washington are unreliable, as talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine remain delayed.
What’s being alleged and what’s denied
CNN cited an unnamed Western intelligence official who said Russian support has shifted from “more general support” to more detailed guidance, including “UAS [drone] targeting strategies that Russia employed in Ukraine.” The official did not describe specific methods, but CNN noted Russia has used Shahed drones against Ukraine in waves, with multiple drones flying together and changing course to evade defenses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that “Russia started supporting the Iranian regime with drones,” adding, “It will definitely help with missiles, and it is also helping them with air defense.”
CNN also reported that Kyiv has sent drone-interception experts to the Gulf region to share experience countering Shaheds, which CNN said can cost about $30,000. Ukraine has developed small interceptors costing about $5,000 each, and said they can be rapidly produced.
Broader Gulf threats also raised alarm
The same CNN report cited the intelligence official saying they were “really concerned” by Iran’s use of mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as sea-drone attacks and low-tech attacks using Dhow fishing boats on U.S. carrier strike groups. Iran claimed it hit the USS Abraham Lincoln early in the war. The U.S. debunked the claim.
“The Lincoln was not hit,” U.S. Central Command said. “The missiles launched didn’t even come close.”
Iran’s IRGC claims to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles. LIE.
The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by… pic.twitter.com/AjaeHMemtA
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 1, 2026
How Moscow is framing the Iran war at home
The Post reported that Russian state media and political commentators have seized on the Iran war to question whether negotiations with the United States can be trusted. The Post cited an op-ed in a pro-Russia newspaper that portrayed the U.S. as “devouring” Russia’s allies. The newspaper quoted columnist Dmitry Popov writing, “Perhaps it is time to wake up?”
The Post also reported that hard-liners in Moscow view the Iran campaign, including the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during negotiations involving U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as reinforcing the belief that diplomacy is fragile.
The Post quoted Kremlin-linked analyst Fyodor Lukyanov saying the campaign “marks a transition to a different type of international relations” where “at any moment, you can move from being a person sitting across the table to becoming a victim.”
On the Ukraine talks, the Post reported that it is unclear when American, Russian, and Ukrainian negotiators will resume talks. Zelenskyy told Ukrainian media Tuesday that the U.S. postponed an expected round in Turkey.
“We were ready to go to Turkey,” he said. “It was the American side that postponed it, saying, ‘Let’s do it next week.’ That’s the information we have today.”
The Post also reported that Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Monday, their first call this year, and that Witkoff said Russia denied sharing intelligence with Iran. In an interview cited by the Post, Witkoff said, “We can take them at their word. But they did say that,” adding that Kushner and Witkoff also spoke with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who “reiterated the same.”
What to watch next
Zelenskyy has warned that the conflict could widen further while also saying he is proud Ukraine may be able to help defend U.S. bases in the Middle East. In an interview with Caolan Robertson, Zelenskyy said the United States had asked Ukraine to send personnel, including “experts” with what he described as “some instruments,” to help defend American bases in the Middle East. He specifically mentioned Jordan and said discussions were also underway about Saudi Arabia.
In his X post, Zelenskyy also raised the possibility of outside troops supporting Iran, pointing to North Korea sending 10,000 soldiers to Russia, warning, “The same could happen in Iran – Russia could send troops there.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
