UPDATE - Kremlin says Russian intelligence analyzing deadly explosions in Lebanon

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY, SMAAL CHANGES IN DECK

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Kremlin said Friday that Russian special services are closely monitoring the pager explosions in Lebanon and will take appropriate action.

"This is a matter of significant interest to our intelligence services, and they will carry out their responsibilities," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a news conference in Moscow.

When asked if Moscow had engaged in discussions with regional players regarding the incident, Peskov responded: "No, there have been no discussions so far."

On Tuesday and Wednesday, 37 people were killed and more than 3,250 others, including women and children, injured in a series of explosions involving wireless communication devices, including pagers and two-way radios. Beirut and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the attacks.

Multiple media outlets reported that Israel placed small explosive charges inside imported pager devices before they reached Lebanon and then this week detonated them remotely.

Israel has remained silent on the deadly attacks. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced itself from a post on X by his advisor, Topaz Luk, which hinted at Tel Aviv’s responsibility for the explosions before it was deleted.

Separately, speaking at a news conference in St. Petersburg, Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova voiced "deep concern" over "the dangerous developments" in Lebanon.

She voiced concern regarding the two waves of cyberattacks that exploded radios and communication devices in Lebanon, describing it as an unprecedented moment in global history.

“While tragic terrorist attacks have occurred before, this is an entirely new form of terrorism -- one that combines both scale and the exploitation of civilian technologies for terrorist purposes," Zakharova remarked.

The spokeswoman reiterated Russia's support for Lebanon, strongly condemning the acts of armed aggression that resulted in civilian casualties and significant damage to critical infrastructure.

"Of particular concern are the sharply increased risks of a full-scale armed confrontation in the Middle East against the background of these events," she said.

Responding to Israel's announcement of a "new phase" in “operation,” Zakharova warned that a large-scale military offensive in Lebanon could have devastating consequences for regional security, urging to avoid "such a catastrophic scenario."

"We once again urge all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint and stop hostilities. Russia is ready to work with regional and international partners to de-escalate tensions and stabilize the military-political situation," she said.

Numerous countries have condemned the pager explosions and expressed solidarity with Lebanon, while international human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, warned that such attacks endanger civilian lives and violate the laws of war.

The mass explosion of pagers came amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel against the backdrop of a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 41,300 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last October.