Allegations of Russian and Wagner Group Links to October 7 Attack Emerge, but Direct Orchestration Unproven

Claims of training, financial ties, and geopolitical opportunism by Russia and the Wagner Group have surfaced in connection with the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. However, public, verifiable evidence directly implicating the Russian state (GRU) or President Putin in the planning and execution of the assault remains elusive, with official U.S. and Israeli investigations focusing primarily on Hamas and Iranian support.

Reports, particularly from Ukrainian sources and some investigative journalists, have suggested that Wagner Group mercenaries may have provided training to Hamas militants.¹ Specifically, the Ukrainian Centre of National Resistance alleged that Wagner personnel trained Hamas in assault tactics and the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in African countries and Syria.² Some outlets also reported on the presence of Russian-made or export-version weaponry with Hamas fighters and financial transactions benefiting Hamas routed through a Moscow-based cryptocurrency exchange prior to the attack.

Furthermore, Russia’s geopolitical stance following the October 7 atrocities has fueled speculation. Moscow did not condemn Hamas for the attack, instead blaming U.S. foreign policy for the regional crisis and offering to mediate.³ Russian state-backed media and propagandists were also observed celebrating the attack as a strategic distraction from the war in Ukraine.⁴ Hamas leadership has notably engaged with Russian officials in Moscow both before and after October 7.⁵

Allegations also arose regarding the potential supply of more sophisticated weaponry, with U.S. intelligence reportedly indicating that the Wagner Group was making plans to provide the Pantsir-S1 air defense system to Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas.⁶

Despite these claims and circumstantial indicators, a direct “fingerprint” of the GRU (Russian military intelligence) or a direct order from President Putin for the October 7 attack has not been substantiated by publicly available intelligence from Western or Israeli sources.

Official statements from the United States have acknowledged Iran’s long-standing material support for Hamas. However, a U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessment in February 2024 concluded that Iranian leaders did not orchestrate nor have foreknowledge of the October 7 attack. While this assessment focused on Iran, it underscores the general understanding that the attack was planned and executed by Hamas.

Israeli investigations have largely centered on their own significant intelligence and operational failures in anticipating and thwarting the meticulously planned Hamas assault.⁷ These probes have detailed Hamas’s extensive preparations, reportedly years in the making, and strategic coordination with Iran and Hezbollah, but have not publicly highlighted direct Russian state or Wagner Group command and control over the October 7 operation itself.

The Russian government has vehemently denied any involvement. The Russian Embassy in Israel, for instance, dismissed claims by former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley about Russian intelligence sharing with Hamas as “conspiracy theories” and “blatant lies.”