A Russian ship suspected of carrying Iranian ballistic missiles was spotted on September 4 at the Olya port in the city of Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea.

Axar.az informs that CNN reported this based on satellite images from Mikser Technologies.

It was reported that the cargo ship suspected of carrying ballistic missiles last docked at Iran's Amirabad port on August 29 and then turned off its tracking system.

On September 10, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that the Russian Defense Ministry was using the ship "Port Olya 3" for transporting short-range ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia.

The Treasury Department stated, "In early September 2024, Russia received the first batch of short-range ballistic missiles from Iran," and imposed sanctions on the "Port Olya 3" ship, as well as other ships and several Iranian citizens.

The satellite images were released the day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in London that Washington believes Iran has sent "Fateh 360" ballistic missiles to Russia, which might be used against Ukrainians in the coming weeks.

The "Fateh 360" missile has a range of up to 120 km and can carry a 150 kg explosive payload. Although the explosive weight is less than many Russian aviation bombs, it is effective for targeting positions at a distance on the Ukrainian front and is difficult to intercept due to its ballistic characteristics.