The Kremlin has rejected a Wall Street Journal report claiming that U.S. intelligence believes Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has plans to supply Hezbollah with an air defense system. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the report, stating that Wagner does not exist and that these claims are baseless. Peskov also mentioned that there are communication channels between the Russian and U.S. militaries, through which any real concerns can be addressed.
The Journal’s report suggests that Wagner intends to provide Hezbollah with the Pantsir-S1 system, known as SA-22 in NATO terminology. This system is equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and air-defense guns for intercepting aircraft.
Wagner Group, which was originally funded by the Russian state and is now under Kremlin control after its former leader’s failed mutiny in June, did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have consistently claimed that Wagner has no legal basis under Russian law, which prohibits the presence of mercenary groups in the country. However, in late September, Putin was seen meeting with one of the group’s former commanders.
According to an unnamed U.S. official cited by the Journal, the United States has not yet confirmed the delivery of the air defense system. Nonetheless, U.S. officials are closely monitoring discussions involving Wagner and Hezbollah.
The Journal’s report suggests that the Pantsir system would be transferred to Hezbollah through Syria, where Russia intervened in the civil war to support President Bashar al-Assad in 2015.
The future of Wagner has been uncertain since the mutiny in June and the subsequent death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash under unexplained circumstances in August.
When asked about unverified Russian reports indicating that Prigozhin’s 25-year-old son, Pavel, has taken over leadership of Wagner, Peskov stated that the Kremlin does not have any information on this matter.
(Reporting by Guy FaulconbridgeEditing by Andrew Osborn and Mark Potter)
