Gold for drones, crypto for airports: Kremlin bargains with Iran, puts pressure on Serbia and loses nuclear secrets
9 June 18:49
Russia pays for drones with gold and cryptocurrency, and its intelligence accuses Serbia of supplying weapons to Ukraine amid an escalating military-technical game and leaks of data on Russian nuclear facilities.
Russia and Iran: drones for gold and Tether
According to a report by the American analytical organization C4ADS, Russia has transferred to Iran at least 1.8 tons of gold (approximately $104 million) as payment for a batch of Shahed-136 drones, which are being assembled in the special economic zone of Alabuga (Tatarstan).
The contract between the parties was signed on March 16, 2023, and another on April 5, with a total weight of over 3.8 tons of gold. Details of the second shipment remain unknown.
In addition to gold, Russia used cryptocurrencies and UAE dirhams, avoiding dollar transactions that could be subject to sanctions. The above-mentioned correspondence states that the Iranian company SAS, a sanctioned entity, received payment in Tether, including for airport services during Lukashenko’s visit to Tehran.
Theroute of the drones ran through the port of Amirabad in the Caspian Sea to Makhachkala, and production at the plant in Tatarstan exceeded 5,700 units in the first 9 months of 2024 alone, twice as many as in the previous year.
At the same time, in April 2024, the United States imposed sanctions against the Iranian company Sahara Thunder, which is considered a front for Iran’s military-industrial complex. The company announced its liquidation, but experts do not rule out the emergence of its successor.
Russian Foreign Intelligence Service attacks Serbia: accusations of supplying weapons to Ukraine
Against the backdrop of active cooperation with Iran, Russia has made claims against Serbia, accusing it of supplying ammunition to Ukraine. According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Serbian defense companies supply shells through intermediary countries: Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, and some African countries, using fake end-user certificates.
Belgrade officially remains neutral, has not imposed sanctions against Russia and does not recognize itself as a participant in military supplies. However, against the backdrop of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service’s statements, political unrest began in Serbia: the Doors movement and the POKS party called on President Vucic to stop arms exports, accusing the government of supporting Ukraine and “betraying friendship with Russia.”
Secrets of Russia’s nuclear infrastructure have become public
Danish and German journalists (Danwatch, Der Spiegel) have gained access to internal plans of Russian nuclear facilities, which were published in open tender documents.
These are the plans for 11 nuclear weapons storage facilities, including the one in the city of Yasny (Orenburg region). The documents contained details of infrastructure, room layouts, security systems, and even a description of places for sleeping, eating, and leisure for the military.
Experts called it one of the most high-profile leaks in the security sector of the Russian Federation, potentially making the facilities vulnerable to attacks. Against this background, in November 2024, the Kremlin updated its nuclear doctrine, expanding the grounds for the use of weapons of mass destruction.
The focus is on the deployment of a “shadow” military-financial alliance between Russia and Iran, the growth of drone production, geopolitical pressure on neutral partners such as Serbia, and at the same time, the blatant lack of transparency in its own security.
All of this is evidence of a deep crisis of international trust, in which Russia is increasingly relying on non-traditional channels of payment, violating international sanctions, and seeking to retain allies by blackmailing them politically and economically.
