AURORAH Geosignal Intelligence told The Associated Press that Russian government or military satellites appeared near Saudi target areas around 40 missile and drone attacks, including strikes on key energy infrastructure.
Founder Nawaf Obaid said the review covered July 1 to Oct. 19. In the firm’s catalog of more than 11,000 spacecraft, he said, 72 were Russian reconnaissance satellites; 11 Cosmos 2600-series craft also passed near three pipeline segments, AP reported. AURORAH said satellite counts near the pipeline and Ta’if were 50% above July levels in the 72-hour periods before and after strikes. Obaid said the firm had not intercepted evidence of an actual information transfer to Iran or its allies. AP reported that Russian officials had no immediate comment on the allegations.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said the East-West Pipeline was attacked Sept. 10 in the Riyadh and Madinah regions and shut down as a precaution. It reported injuries without giving a count. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said drones launched from Iraq targeted the pipeline; AP reported that three pumping stations were hit and oil flow was interrupted.
Saudi Aramco says the pipeline carries crude 1,200 kilometers from Dhahran to Yanbu on the Red Sea and dates to the 1980s. In April, the Ministry of Energy said the line had returned to full capacity of about 7 million barrels a day. AP’s historical account links its construction to wartime fears that Iran could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Italy’s Ministry of Defense said attacks on Ta’if air base on Sept. 18 hit an Italian F-2000 aircraft but left Italian service members uninjured. AP attributed the attack to the Houthis; Italy’s statement did not identify the attacker.
Rayed Krimly, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for public diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry, told AP that some capabilities used by Iran and the Houthis, or intelligence they rely on, came from elements in Russia or China, including commercial sources. He said Riyadh regularly discusses the matter with both governments: “We do discuss these matters regularly with China and Russia.”
