Russia and Iran sign strategic partnership agreement; Ukraine strikes Russian S-400 radar equipment

Key developments on January 17:

• Putin and Pezeshkian sign strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Iran in Moscow
• Ukraine strikes Russian S-400 radar equipment in Belgorod Oblast, military says
• The Biden administration secretly funded Ukraine’s drone industry, the New York Times reports
• US assured Putin there would be no nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Biden says
• There is no evidence that any Australian fighter was executed by Russia, prosecutors told media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Massoud Pezeshkian signed a strategic partnership agreement on January 17 in Moscow, the official Russian news agency TASS reported.

Moscow and Tehran have long-standing ties, but their cooperation only intensified after the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022.

Iran has supplied Russia with thousands of Shahed drones used in attacks on Ukrainian cities, as well as short-range ballistic missiles.

The document, signed in an official ceremony at the Kremlin, establishes Moscow and Tehran as strategic partners. The agreement covers various areas, including energy, finance, transport, agriculture, culture, science, technology and the fight against terrorism.

Russia and Iran also agreed to strengthen their security and defense cooperation. According to the agreement, if one party is the victim of an assault, the other will not provide any assistance to the attacker.

Moscow and Tehran will also deepen partnerships between their special services and assist each other in the event of natural or man-made disasters.

The strategic agreement between Russia and Iran is concluded for 20 years with an automatic extension for subsequent periods of 5 years.

With Iran’s help, Russia has begun producing its own Shahed drone variants, called Geran-2.

Iran and Russia have also been at the forefront of confronting what they see as a Western-led world order, including Tehran’s sponsorship of militant groups in the Middle East attacking allies of the West.

Last June, Putin signed a similar partnership agreement with North Korea, under which the two sides agree to support each other militarily in the event of an armed attack.

Months after the deal was signed, North Korea sent up to 12,000 troops to help repel a Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast.

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Ukraine strikes Russian S-400 radar equipment in Belgorod Oblast, military claims

Ukrainian forces struck the radar equipment of an advanced S-400 air defense system in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, the Ukrainian General Staff reported on January 17.

According to the army, the positions of the anti-aircraft missile division of the Russian 568th regiment were targeted by “long-range fire” on January 16.

“The termination of the 92H6 radar station of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system was recorded, which indicates a successful strike on the target,” the statement said.

Ukrainian forces also attacked the positions of the radar company of the Russian radio engineering battalion of the 336th regiment in the Belgorod region.

Damage to vehicles and equipment was recorded, the army said.

Moscow has not yet commented on this statement. The Kyiv Independent was unable to verify these claims.

Belgorod Oblast lies on the border with Ukraine and is regularly the target of cross-border drone strikes.

Ukraine also struck the Liskinskaya oil depot in Russia’s Voronezh oblast with drones on the night of January 16, the General Staff said. Additionally, a drone strike reportedly targeted a Russian gunpowder factory in the village of Kuzmino-Gat, Tambov Oblast, the same night.

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Biden administration secretly funded Ukraine's drone industry, NYT reports

US President Joe Biden’s administration has declassified its previously undisclosed efforts to support Ukraine’s drone industry, including $1.5 billion in funding sent in September 2024, The New York Times reported on the 17th. January, citing unnamed officials.

Ukrainian drones have been used for reconnaissance, combat and other missions, demonstrating their versatility and impact in the fight against Russian forces.

U.S. intelligence agents reportedly contributed to the development of Ukraine’s drone capabilities, helping to design a new generation of drones intended to revolutionize modern warfare.

While much of US aid to Ukraine has been made public – covering missiles, air defense systems, tanks and training – support for the drone sector has remained largely secret.

Declassified data reveals that the United States allocated funds for drone manufacturing and facilitated partnerships between American technology companies and Ukrainian drone producers.

These efforts intensified during preparations for Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive, which has struggled to make significant territorial gains, apparently due to Russia’s extensive use of drones. In response, the United States has accelerated its aid to Ukraine’s drone sector.

Officials believe the investment has made Ukraine’s drones more efficient and deadly. Ukrainian maritime drones, credited with destroying 25% of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, and aerial drones deployed on the front lines have slowed the Russian advance in eastern Ukraine.

By the end of 2024, Ukraine had delivered more than 200,000 domestically produced drones to front-line units, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in December.

US assured Putin it won't deploy nukes in Ukraine, Biden says

The United States has assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that it will not deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, outgoing US President Joe Biden said in a January 17 interview with MSNBC.

“Tactical nuclear power in Europe scares everyone, including the Russians,” he said.

Biden recounted conversations with Putin, during which the Russian leader stressed demands to keep nuclear weapons out of Ukraine and block Ukraine’s membership in NATO.

“I said, ‘(Nuclear weapons) are not a problem. We have already removed them. a conversation had taken place.

The US president further criticized Putin’s ambitions: “All he wants is to restore the Warsaw Pact. I can’t let that happen. This guy is not a good guy.”

These discussions reflect long-standing tensions over Ukraine’s security, which were at the heart of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. Under that agreement, Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal – the third largest in the world – in exchange for assurances from the United States, United Kingdom and Russia not to use force or economic coercion against Ukraine.

Despite these commitments, Russia launched a war against Ukraine and repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and its allies.

In November, Putin approved an updated nuclear doctrine, which allows Moscow to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. Russia then launched the “Oreshnik” intermediate-range ballistic missile, designed for nuclear weapons.

A November survey by Russia’s independent Levada Center found that 39 percent of Russians believe the use of nuclear weapons could be justified in the ongoing war against Ukraine, reflecting the domestic impact of the Kremlin’s rhetoric .

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There's no evidence that Australian fighter was executed by Russia, prosecutors say

Australian volunteer soldier Oscar Jenkins has the status of a prisoner of war and there is no confirmation of his death, the Ukrainian investigative newspaper Slidstvo.Info reported on January 17, citing the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The news follows reports that the body of Jenkins, a 32-year-old teacher from Melbourne who was reported captured in December, has been found. He was allegedly executed by his Russian captors.

Some media outlets and Telegram channels published a video purporting to show bodies of soldiers, claiming Jenkins was among them.

Slidstvo.Info verified that images were published four years ago on an Iranian website. The description states that it was filmed in Nagorno-Karabakh and that the original video is in Armenian instead of Russian.

Jenkins serves in the 402nd separate rifle battalion, which is part of the 66th separate mechanized brigade of Ukraine, the media outlet wrote. He disappeared on December 16, 2024 while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Mykolaivka in Luhansk Oblast, the command of the Ukrainian Ground Forces told Slidstvo.Info.

“There was no transfer of the body (of Oscar Jenkins),” the army said.

The Kyiv Independent contacted the Australian embassy in kyiv and Ukrainian authorities but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

The Geneva Conventions oblige all warring parties to treat prisoners of war with respect and dignity, while the execution of prisoners of war is considered a flagrant violation of international law and a war crime. Russia was repeatedly accused of summarily executing Ukrainian prisoners of war throughout the war.

Moscow calls the foreign volunteers “mercenaries” and says they are not entitled to the protection of the Geneva Conventions.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised “the strongest possible action” if reports of an Australian national captured while fighting for Ukraine and executed by Russian forces are confirmed.

The Australian Foreign Ministry also summoned the Russian ambassador on January 15 to request information and insist on respect for international law.