Israel May Be Transferring Captured Russian Weapons to Ukraine, Reports Suggest

Israel may have started transferring captured Russian and Soviet-made weapons to Ukraine, according to social media channel, OSINTdefender, a project analyzing global military conflicts using open-source information on January 25.

Reports suggest US Air Force C-17 transport planes recently flew from Germany’s Ramstein Air Base to Hatzerim Air Base in Israel before continuing to Rzeszow, Poland. Rzeszow serves as a key logistics hub for military aid destined for Ukraine. Each C-17 can carry up to 77 tons of equipment, potentially including anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and other military supplies.

On January 21, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel proposed transferring captured Russian-made weapons, seized during operations in Lebanon and other regions, to Ukraine. Discussions in June also revealed Israel, the US, and Ukraine were considering the delivery of decommissioned Patriot air defense systems.

Weapons captured by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon include Russian and Soviet-made systems such as Kornet anti-tank missiles, RPG-29 and RPG-27 launchers, Strela-2 portable air defense systems, and 9M131F thermobaric missiles. In total, over 85,000 pieces of military equipment, including launchers, explosives, and small arms, were transported from Lebanon to Israel.

Previously, on January 21, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel, had already proposed transferring captured Russian-made weapons to Ukraine, according to a statement by the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel.