Civil Defence teams look for survivors amid the rubble of a destroyed house at the scene of an overnight airstrike that targeted the eastern entrance of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on November 19, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Credit: KAWNAT HAJU/AFP)
Israeli forces advancing in southern Lebanon allegedly uncovered “significant stockpiles of Russian weapons,” which reportedly confirmed Israel’s belief that Hezbollah had enhanced its combat capabilities with advanced Russian equipment, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Officials stated that the weapons included Kornet anti-tank missiles manufactured in 2020. They explained that these weapons had been transported to southern Lebanon from Russian stockpiles in Syria over the past few years. Russia has long supplied arms to Syria and controlled its own weapons depots in the country.
The Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon, which began on Sept. 30, 2024, is ongoing. In late October, Israeli defense officials claimed that the operation had reached its “final phase” after achieving “significant progress” along the Lebanese-Israeli border and dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure in several villages.
Fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began on Oct. 8, 2023, one day after Hamas had launched an attack on Israel from Gaza. Since then, Lebanon’s Health Ministry has reported 3,516 deaths and 14,929 injuries.
More advanced weapons than expected
The weapons Israel has uncovered are “more recent, more advanced, and in greater numbers than military analysts had anticipated,” noted The Wall Street Journal. These findings suggest that the weapons have significantly enhanced Hezbollah’s ability to retaliate after Israeli airstrikes decimated its senior leadership. Anti-tank weapons like the Kornet “are among the most effective in Hezbollah’s arsenal and have been used to kill numerous Israeli soldiers,” the report added.
The discoveries have heightened Israel's concerns about growing ties between Russia and Hezbollah, even as Moscow claims neutrality in conflicts involving Israel and its neighbors. Yet, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia had supplied targeting data to Houthi forces in Yemen for attacks on Western ships in the Red Sea earlier this year. Additionally, U.S. officials stated that Russia is reportedly considering delivering anti-ship missiles to the Houthis.
Additionally, the report stated that the Wagner Group, Russia’s paramilitary organization, planned to provide Hezbollah with an air defense system, though it remains unclear whether the delivery took place.
