The Kremlin on November 3 dismissed a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. intelligence believed Russia's Wagner mercenary group plans to provide the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hizballah with an air-defense system, saying such talk was unfounded. "We have already said that, de facto, such a group [Wagner] does not exist," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The WSJ said Wagner plans to supply the Pantsir-S1 system, known by NATO as the SA-22, which uses antiaircraft missiles and air-defense guns to intercept aircraft. Wagner Group, which was brought under Kremlin control after an aborted mutiny in June, did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.