Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia would supply the Syrian military with a sophisticated air defence system, a move that reflects Russia’s increasing tensions with Israel and that could heighten the risks of the air war over Syria.
Israel, which has long opposed the weapons transfer, has carried out more than 200 strikes on Iranian-affiliated targets in Syria in the past two years as Russia, Syria’s main patron, has mostly looked the other way.
But relations between Russia and Israel have frayed since a Russian military plane was shot down over Syria a week ago, killing 15 Russian service members. The plane was accidentally shot down by Syria in response to an Israeli airstrike.
Read the full article by Andrew E. Kramer at the Sydney Morning Herald.