Ukraine Alleges Russia Aiding Iran With Satellite Intelligence And Cyber Support For Regional Strikes
Ukrainian intelligence says Russia shared satellite imagery and cyber support with Iran to coordinate attacks on regional targets.
Ukrainian intelligence says Russia shared satellite imagery and cyber support with Iran to coordinate attacks on regional targets.
Russia has supplied Iran with satellite intelligence and cyber support to help plan attacks across the Middle East, according to a Ukrainian intelligence assessment reviewed by Reuters.
The report, which Reuters said it could not independently verify, offers one of the most detailed accounts yet of alleged covert cooperation between Moscow and Tehran since the escalation of conflict involving Israel and the United States on February 28.
According to the assessment, Russian satellites conducted at least 24 surveillance missions across 11 countries between March 21 and 31, mapping 46 sites including military bases, airports and oil facilities.
The document said facilities surveyed were subsequently targeted by Iranian ballistic missiles and drones within days, describing what it called a clear operational pattern.
A Western military source and a regional security source also told Reuters that intelligence indicated heightened Russian satellite activity in the region and suggested imagery had been shared with Iran.
The assessment said nine surveillance missions focused on Saudi Arabia, including repeated passes over the King Khalid Military City near Hafar Al-Batin, possibly to identify components of the US-made THAAD air defence system.
Other monitored locations included parts of Turkey, Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, as well as sites in Qatar, Iraq and Bahrain.
The report also highlighted increased Russian satellite monitoring of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route.
In one incident cited, a Russian satellite reportedly captured imagery of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia days before an Iranian strike on March 27, which the assessment said hit a US E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft. A follow-up satellite pass was said to have assessed the damage.
The White House said external support for Iran was not affecting US operational effectiveness. Spokeswoman Olivia Wales said there was no indication such assistance had altered outcomes on the ground. Iran’s foreign ministry did not comment, while Russia’s defence ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
European leaders raised the allegations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a G7 meeting, though diplomats said he did not directly address the claims and has publicly downplayed the significance of any Russian assistance.
The Ukrainian assessment also pointed to growing cyber cooperation, alleging that Russian and Iranian hacking groups have coordinated operations targeting critical infrastructure and telecommunications systems in the Gulf region.
It said groups including Russia-linked “Z-Pentest Alliance”, “NoName057(16)” and “DDoSia Project” were interacting with Iran’s “Handala Hack” via Telegram, including sharing access credentials linked to infrastructure in Israel.
Separately, Iranian hacker groups were said to have adopted techniques associated with Russian military intelligence-linked operations, including the use of a Russian-based virtual private server provider.
Military ties between Russia and Iran have deepened since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine and Western governments have accused Iran of supplying attack drones used by Russia, an allegation Tehran denies.
In January last year, Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” treaty, which includes provisions for intelligence-sharing between the two countries.
