Iran sending missiles to Russia as Putin’s army loses weapons at ‘unsustainable rate’

Iran is supplying missiles to Russia as it struggles with depleting weaponry and equipment for invading forces in Ukraine, it has been claimed.

The United States warned last week that the Islamic Republic of Iran had ramped up arms deals with the Russians as Vladimir Putin's soldiers continue to burn up supplies.

Weapons said to have been sold to Putin include so-called kamikaze attack drones, as well as the first reported Iranian-made surface-to-surface missiles.

Russia is estimated to have lost 6,000 pieces of military equipment during the war and is "expending munitions at an unsustainable rate", US intelligence director Morgan Muir said.

Reports of a deal have been denied by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who said his country “has not and will not” supply weapons for either side in the Ukraine conflict.

Weapons sold to Russia include kamikaze attack drones and Iranian-made surface-to-surface missiles (Corbis via Getty Images)

Quoting the contents of his phone call with Portuguese Foreign Minister, the foreign ministry said: “We believe that the arming of each side of the crisis will prolong the war, so we have not considered and do not consider war to be the right way either in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria or Yemen.”

The denial comes after the Daily Mirror last week revealed Iranian troops had secretly entered the Ukraine frontline after being signed up by Putin's army.

Up to 50 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) specialists were reportedly sent to the southern and eastern front along with hundreds of Shahed-136 drones.

Iran has denied supplying weapons to Putin and claim they do not want to 'prolong the war' (VIA REUTERS)

Ukrainian artillery and drone teams have recently destroyed one Shahed-136 base in southern Ukraine, according to Kyiv sources.

They have been based in Dzankoi in Crimea and Kherson in the south, where one IRGC team has already been destroyed.

One Ukrainian military source told the Daily Mirror: “At least one of the Iranian training teams has been hit recently and they are actively being hunted down.

Putin's forces are estimated to have lost 6,000 pieces of military equipment (via REUTERS)

“We have been concerned for some time that IRGC specialists are helping Russia in their terrible attacks on civilians and they are of course being targeted.”

Shahed-136 drones are 11ft-long, can travel at 100mph and carry an explosive warhead in the nose which can be devastating when fired.

On Friday, the United States warned it would impose sanctions on people, countries and companies that provide ammunition to Russia.