Israeli warplanes had not approached Syria’s airspace since Russia supplied it with S-300 missile systems, Ksenia Svetlova, who sits on the Israeli parliament’s defense committee, said Monday.
“There hasn’t been a single mission since Syria received S-300s. The S-300 has changed the balance of power in the region,” she told reporters.
“I do not know about the implementation of any military sorties since the S-300 supply, and according to my information it has not been carried out,” Svetlovna said, commenting on reports of an IOF launching new strikes on Syrian territory in late October.
In a related context, Svetlova pointed out that “Russia is present in Syria, and this is a fact,” stressing that “it is necessary to work jointly.”
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on October 2 that four launchers had been deployed to Syria to protect Russian military personnel from airstrikes.
The move followed the deaths of 15 Russian service members whose plane was shot down by a Syrian missile off Latakia coast during a raid by Israeli F-16s. Russia said Israeli fighters had deliberately put its Il-20 under the attack of Syria’s air defenses.
On November 5, Ze’ev Elkin, Israel’s Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Minister of Environmental Protection called the S-300 delivery to Syria a “big mistake” and threated that Israeli forces will eliminate S-300 systems if they are employed.
“Considering the mess that is going on in the Syrian Army. Shipping S-300s might lead to destabilization of the situation,” he claimed.
