Leaked documents from Russia’s defense industry have revealed that Moscow arranged to supply Iran with 90 advanced guided missile launch platforms designed to be fired from helicopters.
The British newspaper The Guardian reported on Thursday that the documents, obtained by the Ukrainian private intelligence company Dallas Analytics and shared with the newspaper, contain details of plans to supply LMUR guided missile launch platforms, which are fired from attack helicopters and have been widely used by Russian forces against Ukrainian targets since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
According to the documents, a production schedule prepared in May 2024 by Vympel, a company specializing in the design of missiles and their launch systems, listed an order to supply 90 launch platforms under an export contract bearing the code “K-10,” with delivery dates set between late 2024 and December 2025. Separate internal documents explicitly identify Iran as the intended recipient associated with this code.
The records do not establish whether the launch platforms were actually delivered to Iran. However, a separate production schedule listing six Yak-130 jet trainer aircraft designated for Iran in 2023 is consistent with previous reports that these aircraft had been delivered.
The revelations come as Washington considers its next steps in the war against Iran, following the US midterm elections. Observers believe Moscow is among the main beneficiaries of a prolonged conflict, given the strategic and economic gains it brings.
Russia has benefited from rising global energy prices as a result of disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and attacks targeting energy facilities in the Gulf. Higher oil revenues provide the Kremlin with additional resources to finance the war in Ukraine and could also ease pressure on the Russian budget.
The war has also helped divert international attention and Western military resources away from Ukraine, increasing pressure on Kyiv’s ability to obtain US-made interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly played down the extent of Russian support for Iran. Last month, he wrote that Moscow was doing “very little, if anything at all” to help Tehran, indicating that he did not want to alienate Russia from negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
However, these statements contradict findings by European intelligence agencies indicating that Russia had provided Iran with important data and satellite imagery that could help it target US forces in the Middle East.
European intelligence agencies have also warned that Moscow is preparing to supply Tehran with explosive-laden drones for use against the United States and Israel.
Military cooperation between Russia and Iran has expanded significantly since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Tehran became a major supplier of Shahed attack drones, which Russia later began manufacturing domestically.
Moscow has denied reports that it is supplying Iran with military equipment for use in the current conflict. The two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2025, which includes provisions for addressing common threats but does not contain mutual defense commitments comparable to those included in the security agreement between Russia and North Korea.
Nevertheless, Tehran and Moscow have maintained close cooperation in recent months, with senior officials from the two countries holding three high-level meetings in October alone, indicating the growing importance both sides attach to their relationship.
Moscow is keen to keep its military cooperation with Tehran out of the public eye, fearing that it could jeopardize Russian President Vladimir Putin’s relationship with Trump. Russia also faces limitations on its ability to supply weapons to Iran, amid pressure on its military industry caused by the demands of the war in Ukraine.
The leaked documents reveal some of the challenges facing Russia’s defense industry. In a letter dated May 2024, Vympel warned that delays in the delivery of essential components threatened the assembly of missile launch platforms and could disrupt Russian state defense contracts.
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