Russian Defense Minister Visits Iranian Military Stand at Army Expo

Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu visited the military stands of several countries, including Iran’s at the Army-2023 International Military-Technical Forum

The ongoing Army-2023 International Military-Technical Forum held at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center outside Moscow, the Alabino shooting range, and the Kubinka airfield, gathers military enterprises to discuss development within the Russian Armed Forces.

At the Iranian stand, Shoigu showed particular interest in a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and electronic warfare systems. Among the showcased items were the Arash, Ababil-5, and Karrar UAVs, alongside the Hunter-2 electronic warfare system.

Iran’s delegation, led by Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Aziz Nasirzadeh, has been a consistent presence at such events.

Iran has previously denied allegations of sending armed drones to Russia during the conflict that ensued after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The Iranian government stated that any such shipments, if they did occur, took place before the war.

Nevertheless, Russia's utilization of Iranian-made drones for attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets has drawn international criticism. Western powers have raised concerns over Iran's involvement in arming Russia with these drones, along with the possibility of supplying additional weaponry and ammunition.