Russian FM: No discussion of drone purchase deal with Iran

A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova has said that the issue of Russia's purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Iran is not on the agenda of the talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian scheduled for August 31.

“This topic artificially appears in the US media. It was artificially promoted by the Washington Post, too,” Kommersant newspaper informs, citing Zakharova’s statement made at a weekly briefing on August 31.

She also noted that the purchase of Iranian-made drones was not raised at the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Iranian leadership in Iran’s capital Tehran on July 19.

The Washington Post reported on July 30, 2022, that Iran sent the first batch of drones to Russia, which is planned to be used in a military operation in Ukraine.