According to a report on Israel’s Hadashot TV news, Russia aims to totally overhaul its military coordination agreement with Israel and demand that the Jewish state provide it with more advanced notice prior to carrying out airstrikes on military targets in Syria that threaten Israel’s security.
Israel already provides several minutes of warning to Russian military officials prior to attacking sites by air, which are usually associated with Iranian military entrenchment and Hezbollah terrorism emanating from Israel’s northern neighbor. The report did not indicate how much more notice Russia is demanding.
However, it did show new ImageSat International satellite photographs showing that Russia has moved four advanced anti-aircraft batteries to a chemical-weapons site in northwestern Syria. The same site is reportedly just 1.3 kilometers (less than a mile) from a state-of-the-art Russian S-400 anti-aircraft battery.
If it goes into place, the Russian demand would limit Israel’s freedom of movement and military success in Syria, endangering Israeli pilots and giving Iranian agents based there more time to hide or protect targets.
Russia announced last month that it would give Syria S-300 air-defense systems, after it cast the blame on the downing of one of its military planes on Israel that was conducting a strike in Syria at the time. Israeli officials categorically denied any responsibility for the incident, saying Syria shot the missiles that took down the Russian aircraft, killing 15 Russian servicemen.