A Russian military drone, Orlan-10, was downed by Ukrainian troops near Avdiyivka early in April 2016 / Screenshot
Washington has vetoed any further sales of Israeli-made unmanned air vehicles to Russia, according to aviation news provider Flightglobal.
For several months, Russian companies have contacted Israeli manufacturers in an attempt to reach joint venture agreements. However after checking with the Israeli defense ministry about the potential of formalising any such pact, it became obvious the U.S. administration would be very strongly opposed, and would veto any export license, Flightglobal reported.
Further discussions have been halted as a result.
Read alsoRussian military drone downed near Avdiyivka (photos, video)Moscow has previously purchased 10 Searcher 2 and 30 BirdEye-450 UAVs from Israel Aerospace Industries, with these having been partially assembled in a Russian plant.
Read alsoUAVs: When will Ukraine spread its wingsSome of the air vehicles – mainly of the former model, dubbed "Forpost" in national service – have been used by Russian forces in Syria.