Egypt planned to supply weapons to Russia – media

11 April, 2023 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher of the Russian invasion forces in Donbas Egypt secretly planned to supply rockets to Russia. The Washington Post reported on this.

The media refers to secret documents that got released to the press. According to a US intelligence document, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi, one of the U.S.'s closest allies in the Middle East and the major recipient of U.S. aid, recently ordered up to 40,000 rockets to be covertly shipped to Russia. This presumably regards 122-mm missiles for the Grad multiple rocket launcher.

Grad multiple rocket launcher on the KamAZ-5350 chassis (June 2020). Photo credits: Russian media

According to WP, a part of a top-secret document dated February 17 summarizes purported conversations between Sisi and senior Egyptian military officials and references plans to supply Russia with artillery rounds and gunpowder. The document highlights that Sisi instructed the officials to keep the production and shipment of the rockets secret "to avoid problems with the West."

However, the U.S. currently has no information about the Egyptian weapons being supplied to the Russians. The U.S. government official, who spoke to the publication on the condition of anonymity, shared that "we know nothing about the implementation of this plan." "We have not seen this (rocket deliveries from Egypt to Russia - ed.) happen," he added. WP emphasizes that "providing arms to the Russian Federation for the war in Ukraine would represent a potentially explosive gambit for Egypt, a nation that, despite deepening ties with Moscow, remains deeply invested in its partnership with the United States, which for decades has provided the country more than £1 billion a year in security aid".

122mm Sakr rocket for multiple rocket launcher

The document also quotes Egypt's president as saying he is considering selling "conventional goods" to China to make room for "more Sakr 45 production." This regards 122-mm projectiles produced in Egypt.

The publication emphasizes that it is not directly stated whether the rockets that were supposed to be produced for Russia were Sakr 45, but these rockets would be compatible with the Grad rocket launcher systems.

The Washington Post notes that the February 1 conversation involving Sisi would have occurred just days after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Egypt's president during his visit to Cairo.

Immediately after this visit, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry traveled to Moscow for talks.