"Makhshir Kesher" (Hebrew for two-way radio) was the Israel agent behind Tuesday’s explosion of communication devices held by thousands of Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon and Syria, some Beirut-based media outlets reported.
Russian-Jewish propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, considered a key mouthpiece for Russian President Vladimir Putin, was among those who fell for the report.
Solovyov posted on his popular Telegram channel that "according to Lebanese media, the attack may have been carried out by Israeli special services agent 'Makhshir Kesher.'"
Solovyov’s claim was based on a report from Russia’s Sputnik news agency, which said, "According to media reports, the cyberattack was carried out by an Israeli special forces agent." Sputnik added that the agent’s name was "Makhshir Kesher."
Solovyov had previously fallen for another hoax, when he prematurely claimed that Mossad agent "Eli Copter" was responsible for the fatal helicopter crash of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Following the outbreak of war on October 7, Solovyov featured on his show senior commentator Sergey Mardan who writes for Komsomolskaya Pravda. Mardan claimed that Russia supports Iran in its conflict with Israel, saying, "Tehran is our political ally. Iran is one of the few nations that supports Russia in our war. It’s clear who we want to win. Of course, we want Iran to win. Israel has about 200 nuclear bombs. Who’s to say those idiots won’t use them?"
In 2021, Latvia banned Solovyov from entering the country after he praised Adolf Hitler as "a very brave man" who, unlike Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, "did not avoid military service and fought bravely in World War I." Solovyov later corrected himself, saying that Hitler’s bravery did not absolve him of responsibility for his actions.
In May 2022, Solovyov sparked further controversy by accusing Jews of exploiting Ukraine, claiming that "Jewish hands are soaked in the blood of nations they don’t even consider human."
In August, Turkish media reported on another supposed agent, "Amit Nakesh" (Hebrew for "the assassin"), who they claimed was responsible for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The error likely stemmed from a post by Dr. Eli David, an AI researcher at Bar-Ilan University, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Israeli sources have revealed the name of the Mossad agent who assassinated Ismail Haniyeh. His name is Amit Nakesh, who has also reportedly been involved in several previous assassinations. Amit, you’re a hero!"