Minister: Israel might destroy Syrian S-300s, even if manned by Russians

[TomSea]

Minister: Israel might destroy Syrian S-300s, even if manned by Russians
By Stuart Winer and TOI staff

An Israeli cabinet minister has warned that if the Syrians use their recently supplied advanced Russian air defense missiles to bring down Israeli planes over Israeli territory, the launchers would be targeted — even if that means endangering Russian military specialists at the launch sites.

Environmental Protection Minister Ze’ev Elkin, who is also co-chair of the Russia-Israel Intergovernmental Commission, told Russian media Monday that it was a “big mistake” for Moscow to supply its ally Syria with the S-300 missile system, because the advanced missiles, which are considered a significant threat to Israeli air power in the area, “might lead to destabilization of the situation.”

Elkin cautioned that “considering the mess” that the Syrian army was in, the Syrians cannot be trusted to operate the equipment correctly and may end up shooting down an “Israeli military or commercial plane over Israeli territory.”

Continued at: https://www.timesofisrael.com/minister-israel-might-destroy-syrian-s-300s-even-if-manned-by-russians/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter