Israeli warplanes on mission in Syria attacked with Russian S-300, reports

Jerusalem: Last week, Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes in Syria. Syria had activated the air defence systems to intercept the Israeli planes. According to Israeli news channels, the Russian S-300 air defence system stationed in Syria attacked Israeli aircraft. The Israeli news agency reports that this points to a significant shift in the Russian stance on Israel. Russian policy appears to have changed after Israel took the initiative to assist Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.

Last Friday, Israeli warplanes pounded the town of Masyaf in northwestern Syria. The Syrian and Middle East media have published varied information about this. However, Israeli media claimed that the attack caused heavy losses to an Iranian-affiliated group. It was also reported that the Syrian army had deployed a ‘Pantsir’ air defence system to intercept Israeli warplanes.

However, the Israeli news channel ‘Channel 13’ quoted sources saying that the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system deployed in Syria attacked Israeli aircraft. Whereas the Channel 12 news channel made a new claim in this regard. Israeli warplanes did not fall in the range of the Russian S-300 system. The Israeli news agency claimed that the system did not cause any damage to Israeli aircraft.

No one can handle this system except for the Russian army. The Israeli news agency also noted that action could not be initiated against the Israeli warplanes without permission from the Russian leadership. Israeli media reports say the move in Syria signals a significant shift in relations between Russia and Israel. Neither Israel nor Russia has confirmed this. But if this is true, it would be the first Russian attack on Israel and could be one of the most worrying developments for Israel, Israeli newspapers say.

Tensions have been running high in Israel and Russia for the past few days. Israel, which had taken a neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has started criticizing Russia. There were also reports that Israel has started providing military assistance to Ukraine, despite Russian opposition. Russia has since criticized that the Ukrainian government is advocating Nazism and that Israel cooperating with Ukraine is like turning its back on history. Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized for the statements made by the Russian Foreign Minister in this regard. However, it was exposed to the world that this had strained relations between Israel and Russia.

After this, Russia held telephonic talks with senior Hamas leaders, and it was reported that Hamas representatives visited Russia. The tensions do not end here, with Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz on a visit to the United States, where he may try to clarify his country’s position on the Ukraine issue. Earlier, Russia appears to have issued a warning by launching an S-300 attack on Israeli warplanes in Syria.