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Ilya Bezruchko
Former editor and anchor of Jewish News 1 channel, entrepreneur & blogger

Guns Behind the Curtain: Russia’s Covert War in the Middle East

Hezbollah drill in Aaramta 04.jpg
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Hezbollah drill in Aaramta 04.jpg This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

For over 60 years, the USSR—and later the Russian Federation — provided arms to Israel’s enemies, shaping an anti-Israel/American alliance in the Middle East. Soviet military aid was central to Arab forces during the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War when Moscow sought to bolster its allies and demonstrate the power of Soviet weaponry. Operation Kavkaz during the War of Attrition (1967-1970) led to the deployment of thousands of Soviet military personnel to Egypt, operating advanced air defense systems and potentially even armored units to confront Israel’s military.

Ion Mihai Pacepa, a former Romanian intelligence chief, claimed that the KGB played a crucial role in popularizing the term “Palestinians” and trained them in terrorism while also providing weapons. As Israeli historian Efraim Karsh put it:

“The Soviet Union’s military aid turned the Arab-Israeli conflict into a Cold War battleground, with Moscow as the principal supporter of forces hostile to Israel.

E.g., Wadie Haddad, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), orchestrated numerous terrorist operations against Israel using weapons smuggled by the KGB. He used it in several notorious terror attacks, including the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight to Entebbe. Haddad’s PFLP also carried out the 1968 hijacking of an El Al flight and numerous bombings, using Soviet explosives and firearms. These attacks, made possible by smuggling weapons from the KGB, caused significant casualties, heightening the threat against Israelis and Jews globally.

A medal issued to Soviet servicemen who fought in the Egyptian-Israeli War of Attrition, 1969–70. The inscription on the medal says “Moscow-Cairo.” Did Soviet presence in Egypt include an entire tank division? Wikimedia Commons

The Russian Federation, the successor to the USSR, continues to play a significant role in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, mainly through its involvement in Syria and its support for “Hezbollah .” However, even before entering the Syrian civil war in 2015, Russia has propped up the Assad regime and has provided various military supplies to its allies, like “Hezbollah” in the region. Now, Russia is leveraging its paramilitary groups, notably the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), to transfer advanced weaponry to “Hezbollah.” This includes advanced weapons systems and training for Hezbollah militants, using mercenaries from the Wagner Group to assist in these operations .

Reports indicate that Wagner is preparing to deliver air defense systems, specifically the Pantsir-S1, to Hezbollah, enhancing their capabilities against Israeli airstrikes.

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Soviet / Russian supersonic anti-ship cruise missile P-800 Onyx This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

The involvement of Russian forces in the Syrian conflict has facilitated the training of Hezbollah fighters using the experiences gained from the war in Ukraine. This collaboration extends to the exchange of military tactics and newly developed weaponry aimed at both Ukrainian and Israeli civilians.

Captured by the IDF Russian AT-14 Spriggan (Kornet) (from the IDF media report)

Recent reports have highlighted the alarming discoveries made by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon. In October 2024, the IDF uncovered significant caches of modern Russian weapons, including advanced anti-tank systems like the Kornet, Fagot, and Konkurs missiles, which are known for their effectiveness in urban warfare. These weapons have played a crucial role in the destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure in Israel. The Kornet and Fagot systems, in particular, have been employed by Hezbollah to target Israeli civilians and military, causing widespread devastation and casualties.

Screenshot from IDF Spokes Unit Video

Furthermore, the IDF reported finding and destroying Yakhont anti-ship missiles in Hezbollah’s possession, which posed a significant threat to Israel’s maritime security. As well as cruise missiles. In recent days, as the conflict escalates, the IDF has discovered large quantities of Russian munitions, including modern rockets and shells, that were likely intended for use against Israeli civilians. This transfer of weaponry, backed by Russian military expertise and facilitated by Iran, underscores a coordinated effort to enhance Hezbollah’s military capabilities, which raises serious concerns for regional stability and security.

Furthermore, there are alarming reports regarding the production of Kalashnikov rifles under Russian license in the Gaza Strip, which has been claimed by Hamas leadership.

“We have local factories for everything, for rockets with ranges of 250 km, 160 km, 80km, and 10 km. We have factories for mortars and their shells. … We have factories for Kalashnikovs (rifles) and their bullets. We’re manufacturing the bullets with permission from the Russians. We’re building it in Gaza,

– Ali Baraka, head of Hamas National Relations Abroad, is quoted as saying.

The Wagner Group’s alleged involvement in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks underscores the depth of this collaboration and its severe implications for regional security. According to the National Resistance Center that the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine created, some of the militants of the «Wagner» PMC, who left Belarus in the direction of African countries, were involved in the training and transfer of combat experience to HAMAS terrorists.

The crucial areas of training for HAMAS terrorists were assault exercises and the use of small UAVs to drop explosive material. This helped HAMAS disarm and blind the protective fence on the border with the Gaza Strip in the early morning of October 7, 2023.

As well as recent investigations have revealed potential Russian involvement in the October 7 attacks in Israel through the facilitation of financial resources via illicit channels. The U.S. sanctioned the Moscow-based crypto exchange Garantex last year. Yet, it has flourished as a critical conduit for moving funds, including $93 million that Palestinian militants allegedly funneled through this platform to finance their operations. This evidence suggests that not only are Iranian interests at play but also that Russian entities may be covertly supporting terror activities against Israel through crypto transactions and financial networks.

In recent days, Israeli authorities have uncovered a network of collaborators working with Iran, involving two individuals from Russia and one from Belarus. Reports indicate that one of the Iranian spies prepared a safe route for one of the accused to flee to Russia after executing his mission. This alarming trend highlights the ongoing efforts by Iran to recruit and manipulate Israeli citizens for covert operations within Israel; for some reason, they are choosing among those who have some strong personal connection to Russia and its allies.

 

About the Author
Ilya Bezruchko is Co-founder of the co-working network in Ukraine, Entrepreneur, a blogger and the Jewish activist.
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