Israel sends Hezbollah-seized weapons to Ukraine, US aircrafts transport
Shafaq News/ Israel, on Tuesday, has begun transferring a significant shipment of weapons seized during its recent conflict with Hezbollah to Ukraine, according to Israeli media reports.
Ukrainian and Israeli sources indicate that US Air Force aircrafts were used to transport the weapons from Israel to Poland before they were shipped to Ukraine.
The Israeli military had announced during recent operations in southern Lebanon that it had discovered large stockpiles of Russian and Iranian weapons in Hezbollah's possession.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk, revealed days ago that Israel had offered to transfer Russian-made weapons it had seized from Lebanon and Gaza to Ukraine.
Among the weapons transferred to Ukraine are anti-tank guided missile launchers, RPGs, advanced heat-seeking missiles, mobile surface-to-air missile systems, along with large quantities of ammunition and other military equipment.
Reports suggest that the decision to send these weapons to Ukraine came after they were initially slated for destruction. However, Israel ultimately opted to provide them to support Ukraine’s armed forces in their fight against Russia.
This move marks a significant shift in Israeli policy. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel has condemned Moscow's actions but refrained from joining Western sanctions against Russia and refused to supply weapons to Kyiv. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also backed away from offering Kyiv the Iron Dome air defense system.
Israeli military expert Yigal Levin told the report that over 85,000 units of weapons and military equipment seized by Israel from southern Lebanon had been transferred to Ukraine. This includes 6,840 anti-tank missile launchers, 9,000 explosives, 2,250 missiles and artillery shells, 2,700 small arms, and 2,860 pieces of various military gear.
This transfer highlights the growing alliance between Israel and Ukraine amid widespread Western support for Kyiv in its war with Russia. It also underscores the growing Israeli-American military cooperation, with Washington playing a crucial logistical role in the weapons transfer.