Russia Hardens Line With Israel, Sends Air Defenses to Syria
- Kremlin takes harder stance on role of Israel in plane downing
- Mattis says move only makes Assad ‘more of an obstruction’
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Russia will provide advanced anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria and directly link up with the air-defense network of its Middle Eastern ally, stepping up support for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad after the downing of a reconnaissance plane last week.
Moscow blamed the shoot-down of the aircraft, which killed 15 Russian servicemen, on Israel, whose planes were attacking targets in Syria at the same time. Israel has long called on Russia not to provide the S-300 air-defense system to Syria and in 2013, the Kremlin agreed to put a deal to deliver them on hold.