The footage shows a Russian cargo ship carrying Iranian ballistic missiles

Moscow received the first shipment of missiles in early September and used a Russian-flagged ship called the Port Olya-3 to transport the weapons from Iran, the US Treasury Department said.

Satellite images recently captured by Maxar Technologies and obtained by Business Insider show what has been identified as the Olya-3 at Port Olya on September 4. The port is located along the Caspian Sea in the Astrakhan region of southwestern Russia.

A few days earlier, in late August, the Olya-3 docked at the Iranian port of Amirabad in the opposite corner of the Caspian Sea, publicly available ship tracking data show.

Sky News first reported the new satellite images available on Wednesday.

The Olya-3 regularly transits the Caspian Sea to transport cargo between Iran and Russia, according to the Treasury Department, which announced sanctions on the vessel as part of wide-ranging measures targeting Tehran and its assets in response to missile transfers .

US officials said dozens of Russian servicemen trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 missiles that Tehran has now delivered to Moscow. These short-range ballistic missiles have satellite guidance and a maximum range of about 75 miles.

The missiles can be equipped with a 330-pound warhead, posing a deadly threat to Ukrainian military positions and civilian infrastructure.

It is unclear how many missiles Russia received, although the Treasury Department said Moscow and Tehran signed an agreement in late 2023 to supply hundreds of missiles.

John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said Russia could use Iran’s new missiles against closer-range targets in Ukraine, while saving its own ballistic missiles to strike deeper.

The Biden administration has long warned of deepening military ties between Russia and Iran. Kirby said on Tuesday that Moscow had shared information related to much-sought-after space and nuclear technology with Tehran.

The British, French and German governments called the delivery an “escalation by both Iran and Russia” and “a direct threat to European security”.

“This is a further escalation of Iran’s military support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and will see Iranian missiles reach European territory, increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” the countries said in a joint statement.

The delivery of the Fath-360 missiles marks the latest foreign arms transfer to Russia as it continues to depend on other pariah states such as Iran and North Korea for military assistance to support its war machine in Ukraine.

Iran has also supplied Russia with one-way attack drones, while North Korea has provided Moscow with ballistic missiles and artillery. Western countries, including the US, have condemned these deals as destabilizing and escalating.

Pentagon press secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday that the recent missile transfer between Iran and Russia was likely not a “one-time good deal,” noting that Moscow could seek additional ammunition in the future.