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Topic: Oil and Gas, and Trade Blog Brand: The Buzz Region: Eurasia, and Middle East Tags: Drones, Iran, Iran War, Oil Prices, Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine War, and Vladimir Putin Why the Iran War Has Been a Godsend for Vladimir Putin March 22, 2026 By: Stavros Atlamazoglou
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Russia is certain to benefit from skyrocketing oil prices—though the war has also disrupted its supply of Shahed kamikaze drones for use on the battlefield.
The United States military and the Israeli Defence Force continue to pummel targets in Iran. The country’s military is largely helpless. The Iranian navy and air force have been destroyed. And the country’s defense industry, especially its ballistic and cruise missile and one-way attack unmanned aerial systems production, is getting annihilated by daily strikes.
But Iran is not the only party affected by the war. Russia, one of Iran’s few international partners, is being affected by the conflict—in a decidedly better way.
The Iran War Gives Breathing Space to Russia
When Russian President Vladimir Putin woke up to the news that the US military began striking Iran on February 28, it is very likely he let out a shout of joy. As a result of that war, Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine will remain out of the news for several weeks. Sharply escalating oil prices following the invasion would throw an economic lifeline to Russia’s hydrocarbon-dependent economy. Moreover, Washington’s and NATO’s attention would be fixed on Iran, and Ukraine would not be a priority for military assistance or diplomatic support—giving the Kremlin a freer hand to act.
Nor has Russia been content to sit and wait for the end of the war. According to the US intelligence community, Russia and China have each seen the wisdom in bogging American forces down in the Middle East, and have been providing targeting data to the Iranian forces, aiding Tehran in striking US targets across the region.
It should be noted that Washington’s focus on the Middle East is not significantly impacting the conflict in Ukraine. The US has limited the amount of security aid to Kyiv. And although the high demand for air defense munitions is going to limit the amount of such weapons available for the Ukrainian military, there was no indication that the White House would consider such a transfer.
One Problem for Russia: The Iran War Means Fewer Drones
Perhaps the largest military connection between Russia and Iran concerns one-way “kamikaze” attack drones. Moscow has been relying on Tehran for a steady supply of Shahed unmanned aerial systems. These drones cost $30,000 to $40,000 each, far cheaper than a missile, and can be fired in large volumes at Ukrainian targets. Indeed, Shahed drones—or “Geran” drones, their Russian-made equivalents—are the backbone of Russia’s attempt to bomb Ukraine into submission by crippling the country’s energy sector.
Crucially, every Iranian-made kamikaze drone had to travel from Iran to Russia. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, Russia has received over 57,000 Shahed-type kamikaze drones directly from Iran. But the insatiable appetite of the Russian forces for loitering munitions pushed the Kremlin to establish a manufacturing facility for Iranian drones inside Russia. In addition to the in-house production, Moscow continued to import one-way attack unmanned aerial systems from Iran.
However, Iran’s recent situation has almost certainly limited its ability to export kamikaze drones to Russia. On the contrary, the roles seem to have changed.
During an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that since the US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, Russia has been providing Iran with Shahed-type kamikaze drones. The Ukrainian leader went a step further and claimed that the Iranian forces have used these loitering munitions provided by Russia to attack US bases and locations in the region.
“First of all, Russia gave drones already, these Shaheds,” Zelensky said. “I have 100 percent facts that [the] Iranian regime used [the kamikaze drones] against American bases.”
Although exact data on how the war in Iran is affecting Russia’s kamikaze drone stocks is elusive, it is almost certain that the Iranian regime is now focused on its survival and will not prioritize aid to Russia in the weeks and months ahead.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglouis a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operationsand a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
The post Why the Iran War Has Been a Godsend for Vladimir Putin appeared first on The National Interest.
Источник: nationalinterest.org