The United States has information according to which the Russian paramilitary company Wagner Group could supply Hezbollah with an advanced air defense system, The Wall Street Journal writes, citing American officials on condition of anonymity, referring to News.ro.

According to the American publication, the American special services are monitoring the conversations between Wagner and Hezbollah and believe that the Russian unit could have sent the SA-22 system to Lebanon.

The Russian SA-22 system, which Wagner plans to send, uses anti-aircraft missiles and anti-aircraft guns to intercept aircraft. Also called the Pantîr, the system is mounted on a wheeled military vehicle. It was developed by Russia to intercept aircraft, drones and precision munitions.

The news of the possible delivery of the SA-22 system comes amid wider concerns that Iran-backed Hezbollah could open a northern front against Israel. The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean to try to deter Hezbollah and Iran.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to deliver a speech on Friday, his first public comment since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and Israel’s strong military response. This speech will be scrutinized to determine whether the militant group intends to go to war.

Both Wagner and Hezbollah have fighters stationed in Syria. In Syria, Wagner’s troops played an important role in supporting the country’s leader, President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hezbollah fighters were also present to support Assad in his campaign against the Syrian opposition. The Russian military, and especially its special operations forces, have established “a very close operational relationship with Hezbollah in recent years in Syria,” said Charles Lister, director of the Syria and Counterterrorism and Extremism Program at the Near East Institute in Washington. “It’s no secret that these relations continue,” says the expert.

The possible supply of weapons to Hezbollah comes amid concerns about Moscow’s role in the region and Russia’s growing relationship with Iran. Iran has become the main supplier of unilateral strike drones, which Russian forces used to support their invasion of Ukraine. The two countries are also cooperating to build a factory in Russia that could produce thousands of drones for Moscow’s military effort.

Some foreign policy analysts believe that providing a Russian air defense system to an Iranian-backed group like Hezbollah could be a way to reward Tehran for that help.

Although the Wagner Group was founded as a private military organization, the Kremlin moved to confiscate many of its assets after its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash in August.

The ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia’s relative economic isolation have made it difficult for it to influence events in Israel and Gaza, but not without some influence. Russia hosted a delegation of Hamas officials who arrived in Moscow late last month, prompting protests from the Israeli government, which accused the Kremlin of giving the group legitimacy.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the meeting was organized because of Moscow’s concern about the hostages held by Hamas and the fate of foreign nationals stuck in Gaza. At least eight hostages with dual Russian-Israeli citizenship were taken by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attack. They have not been released yet. (News.ro)