Ukraine war becomes showcase for military drone tech

Reported supply to Russia shows Iran's ability to work around sanctions, but may not last

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A drone believed to be an Iranian-made Shahed-136 flies over Kyiv in October. © Reuters

TETSURO KOSAKA, Nikkei senior staff writer

TOKYO -- Reports that Russia is making extensive use of Iranian-made explosive drones in the Ukraine war underscores the spread of technology once possessed only by the militaries of advanced nations, and the threat they pose throughout the world.

The U.S. government has recently made a point of publicizing intelligence indicating that Moscow has acquired drones from Tehran and deployed them in the conflict, apparently aiming to check the two countries, which have both denied these reports. The State Department has said Russian transport planes picked up drones from Iran in August.

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