From Russia With Love: Israel Discovers Majority of Hezbollah Weapons Are Russian-Made

Israeli troops in Lebanon have encountered large quantities of Russian-made weapons, reported the Times of Israel on Tuesday.

Made in Russia: Of the weaponry found by the Israel Defense Forces in southern Lebanon, 60 to 70 percent are of Russian origin. According to Syrian security officials, many of these were originally owned by the Syrian military, which gets its weapons from Russia.

These weapons were transported from Russia into Syria, then from Syria into southern Lebanon. Many of these weapons were discovered less than a kilometer away from Lebanon’s border with Israel.

Advanced arsenal: The weapons are considerably more advanced than the Soviet-era weapons previously assumed to dominate Hezbollah’s arsenal. The discovered caches include Kornet antitank missiles that were produced as recently as 2020. This advanced weaponry has allowed Hezbollah to sustain its attacks on Israel, particularly through the use of guided antitank missile systems.

Bigger trend: Using middlemen allows Russia to deny direct involvement, but the nation has continually shown support for Iran and its proxies.

• Russia has regularly criticized Israel since Oct. 7, 2023, directly fought with Hezbollah on the side of Bashar Assad during the Syrian civil war, and hosted multiple Hamas leaders.

Growing threat: Russia’s ties to Iran-backed terrorist groups are undeniable. Most recently, Russia and Iran signed a “comprehensive” treaty that seriously strengthened the two countries’ military cooperation.

This Russia-Iran partnership is becoming increasingly threatening, especially to Europe. Concerns over Russia’s provocations, the war in the Middle East, and Iran’s aggression will soon lead Europe to take decisive action.

Learn more: Read “An Alliance of Evil.”