TEL AVIV, — April 15, 2026 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reported the discovery of Russian-manufactured 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missile systems and associated munitions during ongoing ground operations against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. The weapons were identified at multiple sites assessed to have been prepared for use against IDF personnel and Israeli civilian areas near the border.
According to IDF operational updates, troops from the 7th Armored Brigade, operating in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, located a Hezbollah anti-tank missile launch position containing several Kornet missiles alongside an unmanned aerial vehicle prepared for launch toward Israeli territory. The site was linked to a Hezbollah operative previously killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The Kornet system is a laser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile equipped with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead capable of penetrating approximately 1,000 to 1,300 millimetres of rolled homogeneous armour behind explosive reactive armour. The standard Kornet-E variant has an operational range of up to 5,500 metres, while the Kornet-EM variant can engage armoured targets at distances of up to 8,000 metres and up to 10,000 metres when using high-explosive fragmentation warheads. The missile travels at speeds exceeding 250 metres per second.
Additional searches conducted during the initial phase of the ground campaign have led to the recovery of multiple weapons caches. Analysis conducted at Israel’s National Munition Disassembly Laboratory indicates that approximately 60 to 70 percent of the seized weapons were of Russian origin. These included Kornet systems as well as other anti-tank guided missiles such as Metis, Konkurs, Fagot, and Sagger variants. Israeli forces also reported the presence of Metis-M systems, thermobaric variants, RPG-29 and RPG-27 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and Strela-2 man-portable air defense systems.
Inspection of the recovered munitions provided further insight into supply routes. Markings on several Kornet missiles indicated production dates as recent as 2020. Israeli assessments state that the systems were originally transferred from Russian stockpiles to Syria and subsequently moved into southern Lebanon in recent years, indicating an ongoing logistical pipeline supporting Hezbollah’s arsenal.
The IDF reported that Hezbollah has deployed Kornet systems in positions both above and below ground, including bunkers and structures located less than one kilometre from the Israeli border. The weapons have been used in engagements targeting Israeli armored vehicles and positions. Footage released by Hezbollah shows Kornet strikes against Merkava main battle tanks. The group has also used a dual-launch configuration known as the “Tharallah” system, introduced around 2015, which enables the rapid firing of two missiles to counter active protection systems such as Israel’s Trophy defense system.
In a separate operation, reservists from the 8th Armored Brigade operating under the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division identified and dismantled another anti-tank guided missile launcher aimed toward Israeli territory, along with additional missiles and related equipment.
Israeli officials have stated that some of the weapons were stored within civilian structures and underground tunnel networks. The presence of such systems south of the Litani River has been described by Israeli authorities as a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which restricts armed presence in the area to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and UNIFIL peacekeeping units.
The IDF continues to conduct operations in southern Lebanon to locate, document, and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and weapons stockpiles. No official figures have been released regarding the total number of Kornet launchers or missiles recovered in the most recent operations.
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