Kremlin offers ‘unprecedented military support’ to Iran and North Korea in return for weapons

Russia is trying to buy more advanced weapons from Iran and North Korea and offers “unprecedented military support” in return, Britain’s UN envoy warned last night.

Barbara Woodward told the UN Security Council in New York that Moscow was trying to obtain weapons to replenish its depleted arms stocks over the winter.

His forces have used hundreds of drones and missiles from Iran to “kill civilians and illegally attack civilian infrastructure” in Ukraine, he said.

“Russia is now trying to get more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles,” he said.

Barbara Woodward told the UN Security Council in New York that Moscow was trying to obtain weapons to replenish its depleted arms stocks over the winter.

Ukraine’s allies have accused Vladimir Putin’s forces of committing war crimes, and Britain and France have even suggested that the Russian president should be put in the dock.

“In return, Russia offers Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support.

“We are concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with more advanced military components, which will allow Iran to strengthen its weapons capability.”

The Defense Ministry said yesterday that Russia had likely received a resupply of Iranian Shahed-131 and 136 drones, with reports in the last three weeks of strikes with these devices.

The United States also expressed alarm at a “large-scale military partnership” between Russia and Iran, describing it as “harmful” to Ukraine, Iran’s neighbors and the rest of the world.

Washington said yesterday it was sending another £231m in military aid to boost Ukraine’s air defenses against drones.

John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, expressed concern about the “deepening and flourishing defense partnership” between Iran and Russia and said the United States would try to disrupt it.

Ms Woodward said the UK was “almost certain that Russia was trying to get weapons from North Korea”. [and] other states heavily sanctioned, as their surpluses diminish palpably’.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, warned yesterday that the conflict could get out of control and turn into a war between Russia and the Western alliance.

“If things go wrong, they can go terribly wrong,” he added. ‘It is a terrible war in Ukraine.

“It is also a war that can escalate into a full-blown war that escalates into a major war between NATO and Russia. We are working every day to avoid that.’

Ukraine’s allies have accused Vladimir Putin’s forces of committing war crimes, and Britain and France have even suggested that the Russian president should be jailed.

On Thursday, a senior US official went so far as to compare the brutal acts committed by some of the Moscow units with those seen in Syria.

“Russian forces have deliberately booby-trapped people’s homes, including children’s toys and even the bodies of people killed by the invasion,” said Michael Tirre, the State Department’s manager for European affairs.

He said such tactics were “reminiscent of IS tactics in Iraq and Syria, where IS terrorists sought to inflict as many civilian casualties as possible and make people afraid to return home.”

The United States yesterday announced sanctions against three Russian-based entities active in “the acquisition and use of Iranian drones.”

Tehran admitted last month that it had sent drones to Russia, but insisted they supplied them before the invasion of Ukraine.