Russia would provide Houthis with images of Saudi sites
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on La Nouvelle Tribune
Russia reportedly provided the Houthis with satellite images of Saudi oil and military sites before and after several attacks carried out since July 2026. The Institute for the Study of War draws in particular on an Associated Press investigation and analyses by AURORAH Geosignal Intelligence, while Riyadh had already referred to Russian and Chinese intelligence.
Russia would be providing Houthi rebels with satellite images of Saudi oil and military sites to facilitate their attacks against Saudi Arabia, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US research centre specialising in conflicts, said on Thursday. According to the ISW, Russian satellites would have been regularly positioned over major Saudi energy and military sites before and after strikes launched since July 2026.
These accusations echo those made the previous week by Rayed Krimly, Saudi deputy minister for public diplomacy, who had said that Iran and the Houthis were receiving intelligence from actors based in Russia and China, as well as from commercial companies. Riyadh says it regularly discusses these issues with Moscow and Beijing.
An Associated Press investigation, based on work by AURORAH Geosignal Intelligence, compared 40 missile and drone attacks carried out against Saudi Arabia between 1 July and 19 October. Nawaf Obaid, the founder of the Geneva-based intelligence company, cited a 100% correlation between satellite activity and the strikes.
A Saudi official quoted anonymously said Riyadh’s investigations confirmed the use of Russian satellites during attacks against the oil pipeline. A Houthi leader, for his part, said Iranian advisers were passing the rebels data obtained from this intelligence.
