The revelations about the assembly line in the Alabuga Polytechnic, as reported on the website, raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort.
As stated by the Radio Free Europe website, the use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
While Iran has claimed to have provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. They suggest that the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
Iran is offering new designs of armed drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war. Sources said that the money paid by Russia so far for the armed drones helps Iran to upgrade its drone production facilities
The Iranian drone industry is searching for new markets. According to the Iran International website, operated from London by the opposition to the regime in Tehran, the Iranian president is actively involved in securing more clients for armed drones, with a focus on African countries.
“The latest revelations will come as no shock, as the barter deals of the heavily sanctioned regime are the only way it can navigate through its current crisis. It is calling in favors from its dictatorial allies around the world, from South America to Africa,” as stated by Iran International.
According to Iran International, the United States and its European allies have imposed a series of sanctions on Iranian individuals and companies involved with the drone program and shipments of the weapon to Russia.
Initially, Iran denied supplying the drones. However, in early November, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian admitted the deliveries, while claiming they were sent before the Russian invasion.