Reuters: Russia's covert role in Iran’s missile program revealed

Russian missile experts have made multiple visits to Iran over the past year, coinciding with growing defence cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.

Documents reviewed by Reuters reveal that seven missile specialists flew from Moscow to Tehran on two separate occasions in 2024, per Caliber.Az.

The group booking details include their passport numbers, six of which are marked with the prefix “20,” indicating official state business passports issued to government officials and military personnel. While the exact purpose of their visits is still unclear, a senior Iranian defence official confirmed that Russian missile experts visited several Iranian missile production sites, including two underground facilities. These visits reportedly occurred in September.

A Western defence official, who monitors Iran's defence cooperation with Russia, also confirmed that a number of Russian experts visited a missile base near Amirabad, on Iran’s Caspian Sea coast, in September. However, it remains uncertain if these Russian visitors were among those on the flights identified by Reuters.

The seven Russian missile experts identified have senior military backgrounds. Two are ranked colonels, and two are lieutenant colonels. They have specialized knowledge in air-defense missile systems, artillery, rocketry, and advanced weapons development. Based on their official records, the specialists also have direct experience working at missile-testing ranges and missile production facilities within Russia. However, employment data covering 2021 to 2024 revealed no clarity on whether they still hold these roles.

The seven specialists are identified as follows:

• Denis Kalko, 48, worked at the Defense Ministry’s Academy for Military Anti-Aircraft Defense, according to 2021 tax records.
• Vadim Malov, 46, worked with a military unit specializing in anti-aircraft missile forces, based on car ownership records for 2024.
• Andrei Gusev, 45, a lieutenant-colonel and deputy head of the General Purpose Rockets and Artillery Munitions faculty at the Penza Artillery Engineering Institute, according to 2021 information.
• Alexander Antonov, 43, worked at the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
• Marat Khusainov, 54, a colonel with experience at the Kapustin Yar missile-testing range, based on bank data.
• Sergei Yurchenko, 46, was identified through mobile phone records as being linked to the Rocket and Artillery Directorate.
• Oleg Fedosov, 46, has been linked to the Directorate of Advanced Inter-Service Research and Special Projects, which is responsible for developing future weapon systems. Fedosov had previously flown to Moscow in October 2023 and flew to Tehran in September 2024.

These visits by Russian missile experts came during a time of rising conflict between Iran and Israel. In April and October, both nations carried out military strikes against one another. The experts’ visits took place against this backdrop, further heightening suspicions over Iran’s defence capabilities and its cooperation with Russia.

Iran’s defence and foreign ministries, along with the public relations office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which oversees Iran’s ballistic missile program, declined to comment on the issue. Russia’s Ministry of Defense also did not respond to requests for comment.

The cooperation between Russia and Iran is not new, with both countries signing a 20-year military pact in January. This military collaboration has already played a significant role in the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Iranian-made Shahed drones being deployed on the battlefield by Russia. These visits by Russian experts to Iran only highlight the growing ties between the two countries in the defence sector.

The flight records were revealed to Reuters by Hooshyaran-e Vatan, which said that the Russian experts had travelled with VIP status. While the activists provided information about the passenger lists, Reuters could not verify if all the listed individuals made the trips. However, the passenger manifest for the September flight was independently provided by a source with access to Russian state databases.

By Tamilla Hasanova