On March 27, 2026, Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), published video of what he described as a Hezbollah FPV drone attack on an Israeli army tank in Lebanon. In the same post, he added that there was information suggesting Iranian proxies may be receiving assistance from Russians, including instructors linked to the former Wagner PMC.

For an Israeli audience, the significance of this episode goes beyond the strike itself. The larger and more troubling question is whether Russia’s battlefield experience in drone warfare is beginning to seep into the Middle East through Iran’s network of allies and proxies.

That possibility should be handled carefully. What is confirmed is the public statement by the Ukrainian side and the circulation of the video. The likely role of Russians in training or assisting such attacks remains, for now, an assessment rather than a publicly proven fact. But that does not make it unimportant. In Israel, where the northern front has long ceased to be a secondary concern, signals like this deserve close attention.

What Kovalenko Actually Said

To stay close to the facts, it is worth sticking to the original meaning of his wording.

Kovalenko wrote: “Hezbollah used an FPV drone against an Israeli army tank in Lebanon.”

He then added: “There is information that the proxies may be receiving assistance from Russians, including instructors from the Wagner PMC.”

He also wrote: “Hezbollah in Lebanon is acting in Iran’s interests, and Iran is supported by Russia.”

And his broader conclusion was blunt: “The more active use of FPV drones by Iranian proxies points to deeper Russian involvement, which may include providing instructors and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)