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Russia Signals Presence on Israel's Northern Border
(JNS) Yaakov Lappin - A Russian Defense Ministry announcement on Jan. 24 regarding joint Russian and Syrian air force patrol missions along the Golan Heights in southern Syria near Israel represents significant messaging from Moscow. Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, director of the Project on Regional Middle East Developments at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, told JNS that assuming the joint flights occurred, they represent a beefing up of Russian support to the Syrian regime. "Russia's message is that it is good to rely on it - that it is a serious country that supports its friends and which does not hesitate to activate for that purpose." "I don't think the flights in the Golan Heights caused Israeli air defenses to stir. This is more of a political statement, which does not influence Israel's ability to stop Iran and Hizbullah from consolidating their presence in the northern arena."