IDF Officials Deny Report Russians Thwarted Syria Strike

YERUSHALAYIM (Hamodia Staff) – Israeli military sources denied on Monday a media report alleging that Russian planes had thwarted an Israeli air force strike in Syria, Channel 12 said.

The story, which appeared in Avia, a Russian online commentary, claimed that Russian Su-35s were scrambled in southern Syria to deter Israeli warplanes from carrying out an attack on an Iranian weapons shipment at the T-4 base east of Homs.

Tasnim News in Iran also picked up the story.

Although Avia has a reputation for being an unreliable source of news, more reputable outlets have reported similar incidents.

The National Interest reported in August that Su-35s “forced Israeli aircraft out of Syrian airspace,” and the website Defense World carried a similar report in September.

Russia’s TASS intimated that such might be the case, saying in 2018, the fighter is “battle tested in Syrian skies.” It is a 4th Generation “plus” fighter that is highly maneuverable and can fly up to 2,500 kilometers an hour, slightly faster than an F-16.