Russia secretly bolstered Iran's missile arsenal before war with US, records uncover
Russia played a larger role in the Iran war than previously disclosed, with internal defense industry documents revealing how Moscow built up the country's arsenal ahead of its conflict with the U.S.
A Russian contract is tied to 90 launchers for precision-guided missiles with the destination as Tehran, according to documents obtained and published by Ukrainian defense intelligence research group Dallas Analytics offering new details on the extent of Moscow's military support for Iran before war erupted.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly downplayed Russia's role in the conflict — as recently as last month, saying that he did not believe they are helping Iran "at all."
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Russian production records show components were allocated for 90 APU-L twin-rail launchers under a contract identified as "K-10," with shipments within the Russian production chain scheduled from late 2024 through December 2025.
Other internal Russian documents obtained by Dallas Analytics explicitly identify "K-10" as Iran. An October 2022 supply request for equipment for a Yak-130 aircraft lists the consignee as "'K10' Iran" and was countersigned by the acting head of the Russian Defense Ministry's 704th Military Representation.
The K-10 designation can also be traced to Russian military hardware that ultimately reached Iran. An internal Russian production schedule listed six Yak-130 aircraft for a consignee identified as K-10. Iranian state media later showed the aircraft entering service in September 2023, and Dallas Analytics said the tail number of one Iranian Yak-130 matched the number listed for K-10 in the Russian factory records.
The APU-L launchers are designed to carry Russia's LMUR, a precision-guided missile also known as Product 305 or the Kh-39. The roughly 230-pound missile carries a 55-pound warhead and can be guided in flight by an operator using an electro-optical seeker and two-way radio link.
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Iran had already publicly announced plans to acquire Russian Mi-28 attack helicopters, one of the platforms capable of carrying the weapon. The first export-variant Mi-28NE helicopters were photographed in Iran in January 2026.
The paperwork also shows involvement by Russia's Defense Ministry. A May 2024 letter accompanying the K-10 production schedule was co-signed by the head of the ministry's 123rd Military Representation.
The documents do not establish whether the completed launchers ultimately reached Iran, though Dallas Analytics told Fox News Digital the contract itself is "a very strong proof" of the transfer.
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The findings add new detail to a military relationship the Trump administration has repeatedly played down during the war. U.S. intelligence has assessed that Russia provided Iran with information on the location of American military assets and, more recently, satellite imagery and weapons components, according to reports.
But administration officials have said that support has not materially affected the U.S. campaign.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russian assistance was not impeding U.S. military operations, while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said the U.S. was tracking Moscow's support and accounting for it in its battle plans.
The Trump administration has separately sought to disrupt Iran's foreign weapons procurement as Tehran works to rebuild its military capabilities.
The Treasury Department has targeted networks it says helped Iran seek weapons and components abroad, including efforts to acquire Chinese-made man-portable air-defense systems.
Just this week, the State Department sanctioned a Russia-based individual it said was involved in efforts to help Iran procure Chinese-made man-portable air-defense systems, or MANPADS.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House, State Department and Department of War for comment.
