Ukraine Charges Iranian General Over Drone Supply to Russia

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has announced that it has charged Brigadier General Abdollah Mehhrabi, the head of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with facilitating military supplies to Russia. Reportedly, between 2022 and 2023, Mehhrabi organized the delivery of Iranian engines for the mass production of Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, which have been utilized in attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

The SBU's investigation indicates that these engines, specifically the MD 550 model, were sent in bulk to the Russian Ministry of Defense and subsequently integrated into drone manufacturing in Russia, directly contributing to ongoing hostilities in Ukraine. According to Ukraine's prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, a conspiracy was formed in July 2022, involving high-ranking military and political leaders from Russia and members of the IRGC.

This collaboration aimed to not only supply but also localize the production of these Iranian drones within Russia for its armed forces. General Mehhrabi played a key role in overseeing these operations, including the establishment of manufacturing capabilities in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, notably in the city of Elabuga.

Mehhrabi is also reported to have ties to the Iranian missile program and co-ownership of the Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar Company, which produces engines vital for UAV operations. The military and technical alliance between Iran and Russia is characterized by the use of Iranian technology in the Russian defense sector, with significant agreements for equipment supply and funding, and transactions reportedly conducted in gold.

In 2023 and into early 2024, it is believed that over 13,000 Shahed-136 drones, referred to in Russia as Geran-2, were delivered alongside components valued at over $324 million. These drones are known to have been deployed by Russian forces in strikes across Ukrainian territory, exacerbating the ongoing conflict.

As part of the charge, General Mehhrabi faces allegations of complicity in waging aggressive warfare against Ukraine, committed by prior conspiracy according to Ukrainian criminal law. The SBU continues to pursue legal actions against those involved in arms supplies that facilitate attacks against Ukraine, maintaining a focus on accountability for war crimes and breaches of international law.