Russia's shadow: Captured arms reveal deeper Middle East ties
According to the "Wall Street Journal," most of the weapons captured by Israeli forces in Lebanon were produced in Russia, heightening concerns about Moscow's increasing involvement in the region.
The American daily "Wall Street Journal" reported that 60-70% of Hezbollah's arms, intercepted by Israel in the early days of fighting in Lebanon, originate from Russia. Among these weapons are Kornet anti-tank missiles, which reached the organisation from Russian stockpiles in Syria.
Russian weaponry significantly enhanced Hezbollah's combat capabilities. The Kornet anti-tank missiles, in particular, have become a key element in the organisation's arsenal, effectively used against Israeli forces.
This discovery deepens concerns in Israel that Moscow is strengthening its ties with Hezbollah, despite its declared neutrality in Middle Eastern conflicts. Israel has sought to maintain good relations with Russia to avoid direct conflict in Syria, where Russian forces are present, and Israel conducts operations against arms transfers to Hezbollah.
However, analysts note that after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has changed its policy in the region, increasingly opposing the USA and its allies.
Moscow was providing coordinates of targets to Yemeni Houthis, which the separatists then attacked in the Red Sea, tightened cooperation with Iran, and hosted leading Hamas leaders in Moscow multiple times, citing support for reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, rival Palestinian groups, as the motivation.
A "WSJ" reporter had the opportunity to view the Russian weapons seized by Israel in southern Lebanon. In Hezbollah's bunkers, located less than 1,600 metres from the border, anti-tank missiles were found with markings suggesting they were transferred from Russia through Syria.
One of the crates with missiles was marked with a Russian label, indicating that the weapons were sent from Russia to the Syrian Ministry of Defence. According to Israeli experts, the markings on the Kornet missiles confirm that they are Russian models and not their Iranian copies.
