Russia is making an attempt to acquire extra weapons from Iran, together with tons of of ballistic missiles, and providing Tehran an unprecedented degree of navy and technical help in return, Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward stated on Friday.

Since August Iran has transferred tons of of drones – often known as unmanned aerial autos (UAVs) – to Russia, which had used them to “kill civilians and illegally target civilian infrastructure” in Ukraine, Woodward stated.

“Russia is now attempting to obtain more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles,” Woodward informed reporters.

“In return, Russia is offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support. We’re concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with more advanced military components, which will allow Iran to strengthen their weapons capability,” she stated.

She additionally stated that Britain was “almost certain that Russia is seeking to source weaponry from North Korea (and) other heavily sanctioned states, as their own stocks palpably dwindle.”

The Iranian, North Korean and Russian missions to the United Nations didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Iran final month acknowledged that it had provided Moscow with drones, however stated they had been despatched earlier than the battle in Ukraine. Russia has denied its forces used Iranian drones to assault Ukraine.

Iran has promised to offer Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, along with extra drones, two senior Iranian officers and two Iranian diplomats informed Reuters in October.

The United States stated on Wednesday that it has seen the continued provision of Iranian drones to Russia, however that Washington had not seen proof that Iran has transferred ballistic missiles to Russia to be used towards Ukraine.

Woodward spoke forward of a Security Council assembly in a while Friday, requested by Russia, on weapons from the Ukraine battle that Russia says are “falling into the hands of bandits and terrorists” elsewhere in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The United Nations is analyzing “available information” about accusations that Iran provided Russia with drones, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres informed the Security Council in a report earlier this week within the face of Western stress to ship specialists to Ukraine to examine downed drones.

Britain, France, Germany, the United States and Ukraine say the availability of Iranian-made drones to Russia violates a 2015 U.N. Security Council decision enshrining the Iran nuclear deal.

Russia argues that there is no such thing as a mandate for Guterres to ship U.N. specialists to Ukraine to research the origin of the drones.

Guterres stated within the newest report that the switch of drones or ballistic missiles – with a variety of greater than 186 miles (300 km) – from Iran to a different nation would require prior approval from the Security Council.