Israel reportedly found large quantities of Russian weapons in the hands of Hezbollah

As the Israeli army advances its invasion of South Lebanon, its troops have reportedly found “large stockpiles of Russian weapons”, confirming Israel’s long-standing suspicions that Hezbollah is strengthening its fighting capacity at home. using sophisticated Russian military equipment, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Some of these weapons, including modern Kornet anti-tank missiles manufactured as recently as 2020, have been sent to South Lebanon in recent years from Russian stockpiles in neighboring Syria, according to Syrian security officials and a Arab official. Russia has long supplied weapons to the Syrian army and controls its own warehouses in the country.

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The Israeli ground offensive in South Lebanon which began on September 30, 2024 is still ongoing. At the end of October, Israeli Defense sources had nevertheless affirmed that it had reached “its final phase”, after having made “significant progress” along the Lebanese-Israeli border, and dismantling Hezbollah infrastructures in the villages.

Since the start of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas’s attack on Israel from Gaza, Lebanon has counted 3,516 killed and 14,929 injured, according to the Ministry of Health.

Newer weapons than expected

The weapons that Israel is discovering today are “newer, more sophisticated and present in greater numbers than military analysts predicted,” observes the WSJ, estimating that these weapons have considerably strengthened Hezbollah’s ability to retaliate after that Israeli airstrikes decimated its top leaders. Anti-tank weapons such as the Kornet “are among the most effective weapons in Hezbollah’s arsenal and have been used to kill numerous Israeli soldiers,” the newspaper continued.

The weapons discoveries also reinforced Israel’s fears that Russia would deepen its relations with Hezbollah, despite Moscow having long maintained that it does not take sides in conflicts between Israel and its neighbors.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Russia also provided targeting data to Yemen’s Houthi rebels when they attacked Western ships in the Red Sea earlier this year, and it plans to deliver anti-ship missiles to the Houthis, according to U.S. officials. The newspaper also reported that the Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary organization, planned to supply an air defense system to Hezbollah, although it was unclear whether the delivery was made.