Russia is running low on stocks of Iranian-made drones, according to the latest assessments by European officials.
They say use of the drones against Ukraine has fallen significantly over the past 10 days.
Previously, dozens of drones were regularly used against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, although most were shot down by the country’s air defences.
The Ukrainian government said in December that Russia had received an order of 250 drones from Iran, without saying where it got the information.
One source said Russia was constantly working to obtain more drones and other military supplies from Iran and other sources.
The supply squeeze comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine nears its one-year mark, and with fighting still bogged down in eastern areas, even as Moscow’s forces increase their attacks.
Russia has relied increasingly on drones and missiles to try to weaken critical infrastructure across Ukraine.
Drones and weapons supplied to Ukraine - in pictures
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Turkeysold its Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine. They can fly at an altitude of 7,500 metres and swoop down to attack targets. AFP -
The US also gave 700 of its Switchblade kamikaze drones. AP -
Cheap commercial drones like the DJI Mavic series have been modified in Ukraine. AFP -
Germany will follow the US in providing a Patriot missile defence system, pictured above, to Ukraine. Reuters -
FIM-92 Stinger rockets have been donated to help Ukrainian infantry engage aircraft and drones. The shoulder-launched missiles can shoot down aircraft. Photo: US Army -
Germany donated 25 Flakpanzer Gepard all-weather-capable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. AFP -
The High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, can simultaneously launch several precision-guided missiles. The US has given Ukraine projectiles with a range of about 130 kilometres. EPA -
M777 howitzers and about 300,000 shells have been donated to give Ukraine an accurate artillery platform with a range of 50 kilometres. EPA -
Ukraine has been sent at least 5,000 of the anti-tank weapons known as NLAWs. These shoulder-launched rockets have proved deadly in the field. PA -
Ukrainian troops have also received thousands of Javelin anti-tank missiles. Bloomberg -
Poland and the Czech Republic sent Russian-made T72 tanks, which Ukraine has used for decades, to ease integration and cut down training time. EPA -
France as announced its plan to give AMX-10 RC “scout tanks” to Ukraine. "This is the first time that western-made armoured vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army," a French official said. AFP -
Shortly after the French, the US said it would send Bradley fighting vehicles to provide "a level of firepower and armour that would bring advantages on the battlefield”. Reuters -
The UK sent their phased-out Saxon armoured vehicles. They found new life protecting infantry units in transit and dealing with tough off-road conditions. Getty Images -
Denmark has supplied Harpoon anti-ship launchers to help Ukraine defend its coasts. AFP -
The US sent 20 Soviet and Russian made Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine that had initially been bought for the Afghan government in 2010. AP -
Germany has also supplied its latest version of the IRIS-T air defence system designed to shoot down missiles at altitudes up to 20 kilometres. Getty Images -
Ukraine has also been given thousands of small arms, bullet proof vests, medical kits, litres of fuel, granades and other weapons systems. Reuters
Ukraine’s allies have identified Tehran as a key supplier for Moscow’s war efforts.
Evidence shared among countries shows that drones seen in Ukraine have matching features with Iranian-made drones seen elsewhere, a source said.
Parts recovered in Ukraine, including engines and wing stabilisers, are also the same, the source said.
But Tehran has repeatedly denied shipping supplies of drones to Russia.
The lull could be due to the fact Russia is saving stocks for future attacks.
Russia and Ukraine conflict latest - in pictures
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A tank, seen left, fires a round in Soledar, a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Reuters -
Tank fire in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters -
Firefighters work to put out a blaze at a Kharkiv fireworks storage site after it was struck by a Russian missile. Getty -
Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, visits his troops on the frontline in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters -
A Ukrainian flag attached to a tank flutters in the wind in Bakhmut. Reuters -
A specialist from an emergency crew works on a residential building in Donetsk that was damaged in recent shelling. Reuters -
A missile fragment left by shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk. AP -
Residents remove debris and carry their belongings out of a building destroyed by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters -
Ukrainian forces fire an anti-aircraft weapon as Russia's attack on the frontline city of Bakhmut continues. Reuters -
A car drives past a destroyed building purported to have been used as temporary accommodation for Russian soldiers, dozens of whom were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Makiivka, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters -
The site of a temporary barracks for Russian soldiers in Makiivka, which was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile attack. Reuters -
A Ukrainian serviceman carries his injured comrade from the battlefield to a hospital in the Donetsk region. AP -
Smoke rises after shelling in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region. AP
The G7 and the EU have been looking to disrupt the supplies, particularly focusing on companies in other countries and Russia’s access to any western components that could be used for military purposes.
The EU is discussing sanctions and export restrictions on seven Iranian entities this week, including those linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as it tried to stop evasion of its sanctions.
“We propose, among other things, export restrictions on multiple electronic components used in Russian armed systems, such as drones, missiles, helicopters,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week.
