Russian officials on Friday indicated that they will not supply the Syrian government with the advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile system.
Vladimir Kozhin, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin who oversees military assistance to other countries, told the Russian Izvestiadaily that it does not believe that the systems are currently needed in Syria.
“For now, we’re not talking about any deliveries of new modern [air-defense] systems,” Kozhin said when asked about the S-300 system.
The comments by Kozhin come following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Russia on Wednesday.
Netanyahu, who arrived to attend Russia’s military parade commemorating its 73rd anniversary victory over Nazi Germany, sought to discuss the escalating situation in Syria with Putin.
A day later, Iran launched 20 missiles and rockets at Israel, which retaliated by wiping out nearly all of Iran’s military infrastructure in Syria. A system like the S-300 could have significantly complicated Israel’s strikes.