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Iran supplied ammunition to Russia via the Caspian Sea – SkyNews

Iran supplied ammunition to Russia via the Caspian Sea – SkyNews

Ammunition Russia War with Russia

Iran allegedly supplied ammunition to Russia using Russian-flagged ships. The shipment contained millions of small arms ammunition and artillery shells.

SkyNews journalists were informed about this by their sources in the special services.

The Musa Jalil and Begey cargo ships departed from the Iranian port around January 10 and 12. The two vessels were thought to be carrying about 200 shipping containers filled with weapons.

The media’s sources claim that Russia paid for the ammunition in cash.

Journalists managed to confirm the movement of the ships, but the dates were slightly different from those provided by the source.

Maritime shipping tracker MarineTraffic placed the two ships at the Iranian port of Amirabad on the Caspian Sea on 9 January.

Satellite imagery dated the following day obtained by Sky News shows at least one of the ships still located at the port.

Корабель Musa Jalil у іранському порту Амірабад, 10 січня 2023 Джерело: SkyNews

According to the maritime tracking data, the Musa Jalil left the port at around 10 am local time on 10 January, while the Begey departed the same day.

On January 12, both ships stopped off the coast of Turkmenistan for a couple of days. The reason for this is unknown.

Musa Jalil і Begey прямують від узбережжя Ірану до Росії Джерело: SkyNews

The Musa Jalil and the Begey then traveled across the Caspian Sea and arrived at the Russian port of Astrakhan on January 27. They stayed at the port for several days before leaving on February 3.

Musa Jalil і Begey у порту Астрахані, 2 лютого 2023 Джерело: SkyNews

Cargo of the ships

According to SkyNews, the alleged cargo comprised approximately 100 million bullets of varying sizes – 5.56mm, 7.62mm, 9mm, 12.7mm, and 14.5mm.

According to the source, the ships were also carrying a range of other ammunition, including approximately 300,000 shells, such as 40mm grenades for grenade launchers, 107mm anti-tank rockets, and mortar shells of different sizes (60mm, 81mm, and 120mm), as well as artillery rockets (130mm, 122mm, and 152mm) and 115mm and 125mm armor shells.

In addition, about 10,000 bulletproof vests and helmets were delivered from Iran to Russia.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces are also using Iranian rounds.

Ukraine might have received them through third states that have become intermediaries in the supply chain between Iran and Ukraine.

The less likely, but the possible source could be the United States, which occasionally intercepts maritime smuggling weapons supplies from Iran to Yemen and then transfers the cargo to Ukraine.

In addition, the Ukrainian servicemen are using Iranian-made mortars.

Український військовий з мінометом HM-15 іранського виробництва. Вересень 2022. Україна. Фото: АрміяІнформ

The Financial Times previously reported that Russia hesitates to purchase ballistic missiles from Iran. One of the arguments is the likely transfer of ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 300 km to Ukraine.

At the same time, US intelligence believes that China might be involved in supplying weapons to the Russian Federation.

Ammunition Russia War with Russia