Iran Russia secret arms deal: Moscow to supply 90 helicopter launchers used by Russian forces in Ukraine for precision missiles, FT reports

Iran is set to receive 90 Russian-made launchers for helicopter-fired precision-guided missiles that have been used extensively in the Ukraine war, according to a Financial Times report based on previously undisclosed Russian defence industry records. The proposed supply is significant because Tehran has also acquired Russian Mi-28 attack helicopters designed to operate with the launcher system.

The documents point to another part of the growing military relationship between Moscow and Tehran, with Russia agreeing to export equipment even as its defence industry faces demands from the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, the records do not establish whether the launchers were eventually delivered.

Iran's Mi-28 helicopters could operate Russian missile systems

The 90 launchers are identified as the APU-L system, which is designed to carry Russia's LMUR missile, also known as Izdeliye 305. According to the US Army's Worldwide Equipment Guide, each APU-L unit can carry two missiles and is designed for installation on Mi-28 attack helicopters. The APU-305 launcher, listed separately in the Russian records, can carry one missile.


Iran's acquisition of the launchers would complement its Mi-28 fleet. Iranian Deputy Defence Minister Mehdi Farahi said in November 2023 that arrangements had been finalised for the induction of the Russian-made helicopters into the country's armed forces.

The LMUR is a light multipurpose guided missile that can be controlled remotely by an operator during flight. This allows it to adjust its course and engage moving targets. The missile entered Russian military service in 2022 after being displayed at the Army Expo in 2021 and has since become a regular part of Russian operations in Ukraine.

Russian production schedule identifies Iran as buyer

The Financial Times traced the proposed supply to production documents prepared by Russian defence manufacturer Vympel for 2024 and 2025. An export order in the schedule listed 90 APU-L launchers for a foreign customer identified by the code "K-10".

The code was linked to Iran through a person familiar with the matter and internal records associated with Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms exporter. The documents were obtained by the newspaper from Dallas Analytics, a Ukrainian private intelligence organisation.

A May 2024 letter from Vympel to defence bureau KBM also referred to the launcher programme. The manufacturer sought faster deliveries of components needed for two launcher systems and cautioned that delays could put nine contracts at risk.

The same production schedule recorded a separate Chinese order for 192 APU-305 launchers. It also listed seven Russian customers. While the paperwork establishes the planned export order for Iran, it does not confirm that the 90 units were manufactured and handed over.

Yak-130 aircraft add to evidence of Russian military supplies

The launcher arrangement is not the only Russian defence export to Iran identified in the production records reviewed by the Financial Times. A separate schedule prepared in 2023 by a subsidiary of state-owned conglomerate Rostec listed six Yak-130 aircraft for a customer designated as K-10.

The Yak-130 is a jet trainer that can also perform light-attack missions. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the arrival of two such aircraft in 2023, while the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute recorded all six as delivered by the end of 2024.

The reported aircraft and launcher arrangements add to a series of disclosures about military cooperation between the two countries. Earlier Financial Times investigations have detailed Russian assistance to Iran's supersonic cruise missile development, the reported supply of Verba shoulder-launched air-defence missiles and exchanges involving information potentially relevant to nuclear weapons.

Moscow's support for Tehran draws scrutiny

Western intelligence officials told the Financial Times that military cooperation between Russia and Iran had expanded further during the Middle East conflict this year. Their assessment contrasts with US President Donald Trump's recent statement that Russia was doing "very little, if anything" to assist Iran.

The reported launcher deal also highlights the extent to which Moscow has continued defence cooperation with Tehran while fighting its own war in Ukraine. The documents offer evidence of a planned weapons export, but the actual delivery status and timing of the 90 launchers remain unclear.