TEHRAN -- Moscow has its own programs for the production of drones, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on reports about the plans of Iran and Russia to jointly produce UAVs.
The Wall Street Journal daily claimed Monday that Moscow and Tehran were advancing with their plans to build a plant in Russia to produce at least 6,000 Iranian-designed drones.
It cited officials as claiming that Iran was working with Russia to develop a Shahed-136 model expected to include a new engine making it fly faster and farther.
“Russia has a number of its own programs to create unmanned aerial vehicles for a variety of purposes. These programs are being implemented. You know that a list of presidential instructions was recently adopted, signed and made public on the development of the unmanned aerial vehicles area,” Peskov told reporters, commenting on the reports.
“Therefore, we have our own development programs,” he added.
The spokesperson stated that he did not know what sources the newspaper relied on.
On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani also rejected the allegation of sending equipment and drones to be used by Russia in the war in Ukraine, expressing Tehran’s readiness to hold talks with Kiev to resolve misunderstandings.
Kansani said the Islamic Republic’s policy regarding the Ukraine issue is based on not supporting the war and not supporting one side against another.