According to the document, Russian satellites carried out at least 24 surveys in 11 countries from March 21 to 31, covering 46 facilities, including military bases, airports and oil fields. Shortly after the shooting, Iranian ballistic missiles and drones hit multiple bases and headquarters in what was described as a “clear pattern,” Reuters reported.
The Ukrainian assessment said nine of the surveys covered parts of Saudi Arabia, including five over the King Khalid military base, in an attempt to locate the US THAAD system. Satellite surveillance also included Turkey, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and the American Diego Garcia base.
In particular, it was pointed out that Russian satellites actively monitored the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG exports, where Iran maintains a de facto blockade.
The White House said that “no external support for Iran affects US operational success.”
The Ukrainian assessment states that the exchange of satellite images takes place through a permanent communication channel between Moscow and Tehran, with the help of Russian military intelligence in Iran. As an example, the attack on the Saudi Prince Sultan base on March 27, where an American AWACS plane was hit, was cited, and a Russian satellite recorded the aftermath of the attack a day later.
The assessment also points to cooperation between Russian and Iranian hacking groups. Among them are the Russian “Z-Pentest Alliance”, “NoName057(16)” and “DDoSia Project” and the Iranian “Handala Hack”.
The attacks targeted critical infrastructure and telecommunications in the Gulf, and the methods used in the operations suggest that Iranian hackers received techniques from Russian military intelligence.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
