Russian operators of Iran-produced drones train in Syria, Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) said on Monday.
More stories:
According to the statement, the training is conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah Police and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the premises of Syria's Shayrat airbase.
GUR stated that Russian troops practice operating HESA Shahed-136 and Ababil-3 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Raad remotely controlled air defense system.
The training is said to be led by a Hezbollah commander Kamal Abu Sadiq, who specializes in drone manufacturing and maintenance.
The Intelligence office also claimed that Russia intends to send Syrian mercenaries, receiving training at the Shayrat base, to fight in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukrainian troops "shot down 40 Shahed drones," indicating Russia's wide use of the Iran-produced UAVs.
In a previous statement, GUR said that the Russian military is using Starlink terminals produced by Elon Musk's SpaceX for satellite Internet in the occupied territories in Ukraine.
The reports come as the Russia-Ukraine war approaches its two-year mark and Kyiv fears air defense missile shortages amid delays in Western security assistance. Earlier on Friday, the Russian ambassador to Israel said that the Kremlin hopes Israel would not change its stance on refusing to supply arms to Ukraine.
The U.S. Institute for the Study of War predicts Russian troops' "consistent large-scale aviation operations supporting Russian ground offensives in Ukraine."