Israel may have initiated the process of supplying Ukraine with Russian and Soviet-made weapons captured during military operations in Lebanon.
This was reported by the Ukrainian defense publication Militarnyi, citing the OSINTdefender project, which uncovered evidence of U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport flights from Israel to Poland.
According to the report, the C-17 aircraft initially departed from Ramstein Air Base in Germany, stopped at Israel’s Hatzerim Air Base, and then continued to the Polish city of Rzeszów. Rzeszów serves as a key logistical hub for military aid destined for Ukraine. The capacity of a single C-17 aircraft to carry up to 77 tons of cargo suggests the potential for a substantial transfer of anti-tank and other weapons, along with ammunition.
On January 21, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharon Haskel proposed supplying Ukraine with captured Russian-made weapons. The proposal specifically referred to arms seized in Lebanon and from other adversaries of Israel.
In June, it was also reported that discussions were underway between the United States, Israel, and Ukraine regarding the transfer of Patriot air defense systems that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were decommissioning.
In early November, Militarnyi revealed that during operations in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces seized extensive stockpiles of Soviet and Russian-made arms and munitions from Hezbollah fighters.
Initially, plans were in place to dispose of the captured weapons. However, the decision was later made to transport them to Israel. Among the seized materials were anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and a variety of explosive devices.
Military analyst Yigal Levin detailed that over 85,000 items of arms, ammunition, and equipment were brought from Lebanon to Israel. The inventory included approximately: 6,840 ATGM, RPG, and grenade launcher systems; 9,000 explosive devices; 2,250 rockets and artillery shells; 2,700 units of small arms; 60 surface-to-air and portable air-defense missiles; 300 binoculars and observation tools.
Not all of the captured equipment was of Soviet or Russian origin. A significant portion was manufactured in countries like Iran, North Korea, China, and others.
The potential transfer of these arms to Ukraine would mark a notable shift in Israel’s role in the ongoing conflict, as it has previously refrained from directly supplying lethal aid. Instead, Israel has primarily limited its support to humanitarian assistance and non-lethal military aid.
