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1 1 (November 4, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govejhs0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional ____ ~ Research Service Iran's Transfer of Weaponry to Russia for Use in Ukraine November 4, 2022 Since August 2022, according to the Biden Administration, Iran has transferred armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones) to Russia, which has used them against a range of targets in Ukraine. U.S. officials express concern that Russia may seek to procure missiles from Iran. These transfers (and potential transfers of ballistic missiles) have implications for the trajectory of the conflict in Ukraine as well as for U.S. efforts to support Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion. Other policy considerations for the Administration and for Congress include sanctions on entities involved in the arms transfers and potential action at the United Nations (U.N.). Background In July 2022, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated, our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs. In late August, the Washington Post reported that Russia had picked up scores of Iranian drones. Ukrainian officials estimated in October 2022 that Russia had ordered around 2,000 UAVs from Iran, of which hundreds had been delivered; the U.S. Department of Defense assesses that Iranians have been on the ground in Ukraine to assist Russia with the drone operations there. Russian and Iranian officials deny the use of Iranian UAVs in Ukraine. These drones (the Shahed-131 and 136) have a range of 900 and 1,500 kilometers, respectively. They have a slow speed, making them vulnerable to man-portable air defense and even small arms. Ukraine appears to have been successful at downing a significant percentage of the Iranian drones, but some continue to evade defenses. It is unclear how many of Ukraine's medium- and long-range air defense systems remain operational. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12042 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress