Putin’s Missiles for Syria

A Russian plane was accidentally shot down by Syria as Israeli jets were attacking Assad regime targets in the war-torn country last week.

“Today, the situation has changed, for no fault of ours”, Shoigu said in a televised statement Monday announcing the S-300 deliveries.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed these comments on his way to NY to attend the United Nations General Assembly gathering. Israel’s anger over Tehran’s ongoing military expansion in Syria and its suggestions Israel was partly behind a deadly weekend terror attack will be likely fodder for Netanyahu’s speech.

Russian Federation plans to deploy the S-300s, which will replace less-effective S-200 systems, in the next fortnight and defence analysts believe it will pose a significantly increased danger to Israeli aircraft seeking to attack Syrian targets.

“Obviously, this seriously constrains not just Israeli, but also U.S. operations in case of possible bombing of Syria”, Sokov said of the new Russian-staffed S-300.

The Israeli military rejected the accusation that its jets deliberately used the Il-20 as a shield and led to its downing. The gross incompetence of Syrian troops was hardly a surprise, but the blunders of Russian military command in ensuring control over the airspace around its main base are hard to hide (Svobodnaya Pressa, September 20). On Monday, Defence Ministry spokesman Maj.

Moscow has accused Israel’s fighter pilots of using the bigger Ilyushin as cover, causing Syria’s Soviet-era S-200 air defense system to interpret the Russian plane as a target.

“We have American forces in the area we’re concerned about”, Bolton said.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Ministry Sergei Ryabkov fired back, warning the USA against taking “a mentor’s tone”.

Bolton added that at least some of the 2,000 USA troops in Syria will remain until Iran leaves, expanding the rationale for the American deployment which has the blessing of the U.N.as a means of defeating ISIS. The IAF had struck an Iranian shipment of manufacturing kits for precision missiles, which Iran was planning to smuggle to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The move comes to “increase safety” of Russian military fighting in Syria. Liability falls on Israel, the ministry said, because warning of the strike came just one minute in advance.

“The Russians are careful guys and have their arrangement with the Israelis”, he said. All fifteen Russian members aboard the plane were killed.

Israel has long lobbied Moscow not to provide the S-300 to Syria, fearing this would hinder its aerial capability to strike buildups of Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman warned earlier this year that Israel will respond with force if anyone shoots at Israeli planes. Media reports suggest the prime minister will also meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but the meeting does not appear on Netanyahu’s official schedule.

Under the deal, a demilitarized zone of 15-20 kilometers will have to be created in Idlib along the contact line between the militants and Syrian government troops by October 15.