Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed drones, Zelenskiy says

March 14 (Reuters) – Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed drones to use against the U.S. and Israel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told CNN in an interview excerpt aired on Saturday.

Zelenskiy told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that it is “100% facts” that Iran has used Russian-made Shaheds to attack U.S. bases.

Shahed drones have been linked to other attacks on countries in the region, although their manufacturers are not always clear. 

Iran pioneered the Shahed drone, a much cheaper alternative to expensive missiles. They first saw mass use in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where thousands of them have been launched by Russian forces since fall 2022, according to the Ukrainians.

Although Iran initially provided the drones, Russia now manufactures its own Shaheds. The armed forces of other countries have since adopted Shahed-type drones, including the U.S. military, which has said they are part of the current campaign against Iran. 

(Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Sergio Non and Jamie Freed)