Tel Aviv faced difficulties in conducting operations of the air force in the skies over Syria after Russia defended the Arab Republic with the help of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems.. Thus, the usual situation in Israel is a thing of the past, and we need to put up with it, wrote Haaretz newspaper columnist Amos Harel. The Israeli Air Force did not completely stop the air strikes on Syria, but now they have become more difficult and more dangerous - this is an indisputable fact, the publication says. Russia became the mistress of the situation in the Middle East. According to Harel, this can be seen from a more aggressive tone on the hotline, which is designed to prevent air incidents between Israel and Russia, as well as the “aggressive behavior” of Russian aviation and air defense in Syria. If it goes on like this, Israeli aviation will actually be squeezed out of the Middle Eastern sky.. The author notes the increased interest of Russia to the events in Lebanon, and this causes him considerable concern.. Under the pessimistic scenario, the "protective umbrella", which Russia has already "opened" over Syria, will cover Lebanon. This will further complicate the situation for Israel.. It’s one thing to play cat and mouse with Lebanese terrorists, and it’s quite another to try to counter the interests of Russia in Syria and Lebanon, Harel concluded. Official Tel Aviv has repeatedly expressed extreme concern over the fact that Russian S-300 complexes have been shipped to Syria.. Contrary to the statements of the Israeli journalist in the Knesset (parliament), it was said that the air forces of the country have not made raids on Syria since September. "Since Syria was supplied with the C-300 system, there has not been a single departure. S-300 is the thing that changed the balance of power in the region, ”Ksenia Svetlova, a member of the Knesset foreign policy and defense commission, told RIA Novosti.. And according to the brigadier general of the Syrian army Hassan Ahmad Hassan, the probability of success of future Israeli missile attacks is reduced to a minimum. Russia delivered S-300 complexes to Damascus after the Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down in September in the skies over Syria.

The plane was accidentally shot down by Syrian air defenses, which reflected the raids of the Israeli air force, which at that moment caused air strikes in Latakia.. Israel notified the Russian side of this air strike only a minute before it began, misleading about the impact area and not reporting the whereabouts of the F-16 fighters.. According to the Ministry of Defense, the Israeli pilots literally covered themselves behind the IL-20 who had come in for a landing.. As a result, killed 15 Russian military.